Hotel Albert Alger Africa <14/1 23>

We received your letter today (via Alicante), – and it pleased us greatly

to hear from you. Well it seems the postal service has become a game

of “hazard” – I have sent several letters home, – Engel even

more, – all of which have been lost; – I also sent Kari and Arnold

a stack of little albums with pictures from Capri, Naples

and Rome, – they have also been lost en route; the postal service

steals everything that might have the slightest value (they often steal

letters, just for the sake of the postage ^{both used and unused} stamps), – As

when we stayed for a few days in an Arab city, called Croùbs –

– in the approximate centre of Africa, – but not a single postcard

or letter that I wrote – from there ^{the day before Christmas} has arrived. (In Croùbs

I was also robbed of my shaving kit; – it is the

second time it has happened to me during the trip). – I understand, that one

must send all one’s letters and everything else in the

mail by special delivery. Well we are now in Africa and

are doing quite well, though admittedly I am afflicted by the malaria

– the fever is often severe, – but what’s worse is the bronchitis, and an

unbearable “twinge”, that will never cease, – and a cough, the likes

of which I have never experienced before, – that bloody trip to

Hvalöerne gave me a bad cold, which I apparently will

never get rid of; – ~~and~~ in addition to that were the hundreds of

Vertical text on left: Greetings to consul Mohr or his wife if you meet them – I don’t think there is any use in writing

about Engel’s travel money – it was most likely ^already calculated in the purchase of the pictures

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