At Sea, July 2.

Dr Folks—

We are far up the intensely blue & ravishingly beautiful Mediterranean. And now we are just passing the island of Minorca. The climate is perfectly lovely, & it is hard to drive anybody to bed day or night. We run the whole night through, occasionally, & by this means enjoy the rare sensation of seeing the sun rise. But the [sunsets ]are soft, rich, warm, superb!

We had a ball last night under the awnings of the quarter deck, & the share of it of 3 of it ‸us‸ was masquerade. We had full, flowing, picturesque Moorish costumes which we purchased in the bazaars of Tangier.

Yrs Sam.