November 28 Monday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss that Orion was to start east in “about 6 or 8 days.” Sam also told of his plan to send Riley to South Africa, and the 600-page book he planned to write by the spring of 1872. He then asked Bliss for a 10% royalty on the proposed book.

“P.S. I don’t care two cents whether there is a diamond in all Africa or not—the adventurous narrative & its wild, new fascination is what I want” [MTL 4: 251-2].