June 30 Saturday – In Conanicut, R.I., Howells wrote to Sam, perhaps answering his of June 29. Howells wrote of his recent trip to Quebec and of breakfasting with President Hayes during his recent to Boston and Newport. Howells loved Sam’s pieces about the Bermuda trip:

I’ve just been reading aloud to my wife your Bermuda papers. That they’re delightfully entertaining goes without saying; but we also found that you gave us the only realizing sense of Bermuda that we’ve ever had. I know that they will be a great success. —The fog has cleared off, and we’re in raptures with Conanicut. Would that we could bring your hill-top to our shore!—That joke you put in Twichell’s mouth advising you to make the most of a place that was like Heaven, about killed us [MTHL 1: 185].

Frank Fuller began a note to Sam that he finished on July 3, clipping enclosed: “the tug-boat Herbert, belonging to Staples & Phillips of Taunton, blew up Tuesday and killed William Farrell and William Paull.” Fuller added that Sam erred “in stating that Bowers & Johnny were the parties”  [MTP].