left B——e and arrived at this place the first of Octr. after an absence of 5 weeks and two days. I shall leave here for Boston on Christmas day shall be in Baltimore the 27 and as the Steamboats between there and Philadelphia will probably have stopt running before that time [opt] by land to P——a. <[. . .]> we shall pass each other some where on the road if you will let me know <at> the houses you put up at in Philadelphia and in New York. I will stop at the same and thereby we shall stand a very good chance of meeting. It never was known to be more sickly in Virginia than it <has been since> it was during the month of September and the greater part of Octr. Mr [Mingo] and his wife and 8 or 9 of his children have been sick with the Bilious and any person living in the country this side of the Allegany mountains is almost sure to be sick once a year [. . .] a “d——d Yankee” as <we> the Virgineans very politely call the [people] of N.E. is sure to be sick in Septr. I heartily congratulate you on the pleasure you received in measuring the whale, as measuring whales is certainly a more innocent amusement than measuring girls. I hope you will not leave Cambridge <[too]> early as to prevent our meeting I hope however you will answer this as soon as possible and let me know when you do leave I undersand you have all turned uniformly gray in Old Alma Mater and with a devilish good pun I must conclude by subscribg myself your friend till all / is blue