Her er saa meget brændevin at jeg orker ikke at smage det.

Rödvin til 50 öre pr.

flaske er bedre. I sær

varm. Vi koker den næsten

Kjære Kramer

Tak for dine 4 breve, som jeg mod-

tog i gaar, – jeg havde nettop sendt

dig et brev dagen i forveien. – Dit

brev (med de indlagte 4) har kùn

brùgt 7 dage hid, – medens posten

fra Kristiania brùger 8–9 dage. –

Ja vi holder os her i Alger frem-

deles og venter paa "sönnle{…}

Engel siger), og vi blir her nok

en maaned endnù, – jeg er lidt bedre;

men feberen er slem endnù; – og saa

fölger der en slig "træthed" med den.

Engel vil ogsaa gjerne holde sengen,

om det end skal være ùheldigt paa

"de sidste dagene", – siger man. Men

hùn har feberen ved siden af – saa

det er ikke saa let at være

energisk og trove rùndt med den

tùnge "bören", – men hùn har været

ganske flink til at gaa like til nù 

for en 3–4 dage siden. –––

Ja nù skjönner jeg af dit brev, at

det er hotel Habsbùrger Hof,

som er skyld i, at brevene ikke

kom frem. Havde dù adresseret

<dem> til det norske konsulat Wien,

var de kommen mig i hænde. 

Jeg opgav forresten denne adresse ^ogsaa

til hotel Habsburger ^H; – da vi reiste

derfra, og et par breve har kommet

mig i hænde, som hadde paseret

Habsburger Hof; – jeg har flere gange

skrevet til de hoteller, jeg har bod

paa, og bedt dem eftersende breve;

men saa langt tilbake – som til

hotel Habsbùrger Hof – har jeg ikke

skrevet, – desuden opgav jeg, som sagt,

adr. der – "til det norske konsulat i Wien"

Ja ùndskyld dette rabl, – jeg er ikke fri

for nervösitet – det lakker nemlig med

de sidste skillinger, og saa har vi jo

dette "forestaaende" med Engel, og det

blir sikkert ingen billig afàire. Jeg

tænkte ogsaa, at jeg skulde faaet malt 

noget her, men det er ikke saa godt

at være oplagt ùnder slige "omstændighe-

der". Et norsk skib gik paa 

grùnd her i gaar – i den voldsomme

sjögang; – 4 mand svömmede iland,

hvorledes det gik med de andre, er

ikke saa godt at vide endnù, förend

jeg træffer Titland; – den spanske pike

paa hotellet fortalte mig det, men

vor spanske konversation er saa daarlig

at jeg kan ikke stole stort paa den, – imid-

lertid traf jeg ogsaa en tysker, som kunde

fortælle, at de 4 mand, som vovede sig

gjennem brændingerne havde toùg med, 

saa forbindelse med land var opnaaet,

naar bare sjöen lagde sig lidt. – Per og

jeg var ùde og saa paa de svære bölger. –

Vi stod 7–8 meter ovenfor brændingen, og

jeg snùdde ryggen et öieblik til havet, 

da saa jeg Per springe som en hare op mod

land, – og saa kom der en bölge, som kastet

mig overende, – jeg reiste mig i en fart, men

"dragsùget" ^{da bölgen gik tilbake} havde nær trukket ùd paa ^dybet

med sig, – jeg maatte stritte imod af alle

kræfter. Det var frakken, bölgen fik slikt

tak i. I dag har jeg maattet holde mig inde

af mangel paa törre klær. – Bölgen naaede Per

til knæs enda han sprang. Ja saa maa

dù hilse Petra, og vær dù og familie

hjærtligst hilset frå din Engel og Astrup

P.S. Jeg skal skrive snarest til Kreybergene! hils <forelöbig>!

There is so much liquor here that I have no desire to taste it.

Red wine at 50 öre per

bottle is better. Especially 

warm. We practically boil it

Dear Kramer

Thank you for your 4 letters, which I re-

ceived yesterday, – I had just sent

you a letter the day before. – Your

letter (with the enclosed 4) has only

taken 7 days to arrive here, – while the post

from Kristiania takes 8–9 days. –

Well we are still here in Algiers 

and are waiting for the "son{…}

Engel says), and we will probably remain here

another month, – I am a little better;

but the fever is still severe; – and then

a great “fatigue” accompanies it.

Engel would also prefer to stay in bed,

even though it is supposed to be bad luck during

“the final days”, – as the saying goes. But

she has a fever on top of everything – so

it is not so easy to be

energetic and trudge around with the

heavy “burden”, – but she has been

very good about walking up until recently 

about 3–4 days ago. –––

Well now I understand from your letter, that

it is the hotel Habsbùrger Hof’s

fault, that the letters did not

 arrive. Had you addressed

<them> to the Norwegian consulate in Vienna,

they would have reached me. 

I incidentally gave this address ^{as well}

to the hotel Habsburger ^H; – when we departed

from there, and a couple of letters have 

reached me, which had arrived via

Habsburger Hof; – I have repeatedly

written to the hotels, where I have

stayed, and asked them to forward letters;

But as long ago – as to the

hotel Habsbùrger Hof – I have not

written, – moreover, as mentioned, I gave

the adr. there as – “the Norwegian consulate in Vienna”

Well forgive these scribbles, – I am not free of

the anxiety – our last shillings 

are running out, and then we have

this “approaching event” with Engel, and it

probably won’t be an inexpensive affair. I 

also thought, that I might paint 

something here, but it is not so easy

to be disposed under such “circumstan-

ces”. A Norwegian ship ran a- 

ground here yesterday – in the turbulent

waters; – 4 men swam ashore,

the fate of the others, is

not easy to find out, until

I meet Titland; – the Spanish girl

at the hotel told me, but

our Spanish conversation is so poor

that I cannot rely on it much, – in the

meantime I also met a German, who could

tell me, that the 4 men, who ventured 

into the swells had a rope with them, 

so the connection to land would be established,

as soon as the sea settled a bit. – Per and

I were outdoors to look at the huge waves. –

We stood 7–8 metres in front of the swells, and

I turned my back to the sea for a second, 

and then I saw Per sprint like a hare up towards

land, – and then a wave came, that threw

me off my feet, – I stood up quickly, but

“the undertow” ^{when the wave receded} had nearly dragged [me] out to ^{deep waters}

with it, – I had to struggle against it with all 

my might. It was my coat, the wave got such a good

hold of. Today I have been forced to remain indoors

for lack of dry clothes. – The wave reached Per

up to his knees even though he ran. Well you

must say hello to Petra, and our warmest wishes to 

you and your family from your Engel and Astrup

P.S. I will write straightaway to the Kreybergs! say hello <in the meantime>!