Page:Familiar letters of Henry David Thoreau.djvu/327

 MT. 37.] TO HARRISON BLAKE. 303

have time enough for your own excursions be sides.

I received a letter from Cholmoiideley last winter, which I should like to show you, as well as his book. 1 He said that he had &quot; accepted the offer of a captaincy in the Salop Militia,&quot; and was hoping to take an active part in the war before long.

I thank you again and again for the encour agement your letters are to me. But I must stop this writing, or I shall have to pay for it.

NORTH TKUKO, July 8, 1855.

There being no packet, I did not leave Bos ton till last Thursday, though I came down on Wednesday, and Charming with me. There is no public house here ; but we are boarding with Mr. James Small, the keeper, in a little house attached to the Highland Lighthouse. It is true the table is not so clean as could be desired, but I have found it much superior in that re spect to the Provincetown hotel. They are what is called &quot; good livers.&quot; Our host has another larger and very good house, within a quarter of a mile, unoccupied, where he says he can accom modate several more. He is a very good man to deal with, has often been the representative of the town, and is perhaps the most intelligent

1 The book was Ultima Thule, describing New Zealand.