December 2 Friday – Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss and offered a compromise royalty on the new book of 8 ½ percent. Bliss drew up a contract based on this letter [MTL 4: 256-7].

Sam also wrote a very long letter to John Henry Riley laying out the case and benefits to each. Sam would pay Riley’s passage and expenses. Riley would stay in South Africa up to three months and keep all the diamonds he found up to $5,000, but split everything over that amount with Sam. Sam would even teach Riley how to lecture and set him up with James Redpath on the circuit. Sam also suggested how Riley might get out of correspondent obligations to the Alta California—offer them a substitute equally qualified [MTL 4: 258-66].