Atlantic, had inquired there whether a
yacht was to be hired for such a purpose. The schooner _Casco_, Captain
Otis, was found. Stevenson signified by telegraph his assent to the
arrangement; determined to risk in the adventure the sum of L2000, of
which his father's death had put him in possession, hoping to recoup
himself by a series of Letters recounting his experiences, for which he
had received a commission from Mr. S. S. M'Clure; and on the 2nd of June
started with his mother and stepson for San Francisco, the first stage
on that island cruise from which he was destined never to return.

His work during the season September 1887-May 1888 had consisted of the
twelve papers published in the course of 1888 in Scribner's Magazine,
including perhaps the most striking of all his essays, _A Chapter on
Dreams_, _Pulvis et Umbra_, _Beggars_, _The Lantern Bearers_, _Random
Memories_, etc.; as well as the greater part of the _Master of
Ballantrae_ and _The Wrong Box_--the last originally conceived and
drafted by Mr. Lloyd Osbourne.

TO SIDNEY COLVIN

A succession of Stevenson's friends had visited and spent part of the
day or the evening with him at Armfield's hotel on Sunday, August
20th, each bringing some farewell gift or another (as related by Mr.
Gosse in his volume _Critical Kitcats_, p. 297). Among these, Mr.
Henry James's gift had been a case of champagne for consumption
during the journey. On the morning of the 21st I accompanied him to
the docks, saw him and his party embarked on board the steamer
_Ludgate Hill_, a vessel sailing from the port of London and carrying
animals and freight as well as passengers. They had chosen to go by
this route for the sake alike of economy and amusement, rather than
by one of the sumptuous liners sailing from Liverpool or Southampton.
Leaving the ship's side as she weighed anchor, and waving farewell to
the party from the boat which landed me, I little knew what was the
truth, that I was looking on the face of my friend for the last time.
The letters next following were written during or Immediately after
his passage across the Atlantic. "The Commodore" is of course R. L. S.

_H.M.S. Vulgarium, off Havre de Grace,
this 22nd day of August [1887]._

SIR,--The weather has been hitherto inimitable. Inimitable is the only
word that I can apply to our fellow-voyagers, whom a categorist,
possibly premature, has bee