At sea, July 2, 1867.  Dr. Folks,—­We are far up the intensely blue and ravishingly beautiful Mediterranean.  And now we are just passing the island of Minorca.  The climate is perfectly lovely and it is hard to drive anybody to bed, day or night.  We remain up the whole night through occasionally, and by this means enjoy the rare sensation of seeing the sun rise.  But the sunsets are soft, rich, warm and superb!

We had a ball last night under the awnings of the quarter deck, and the
share of it of three of us was masquerade.  We had full, flowing,
picturesque Moorish costumes which we purchased in the bazaars of
Tangier. 
                              Yrs. 
                                   Sam.

                                   Marseilles, France, July 5, 1867. 
We are here.  Start for Paris tomorrow.  All well.  Had gorgeous 4th of July jollification yesterday at sea. 
                              Yrs. 
                                   Sam.

The reader may expand these sketchy outlines to his heart’s content by following the chapters in The Innocents Abroad, which is very good history, less elaborated than might be supposed.  But on the other hand, the next letter adds something of interest to the book-circumstances which a modest author would necessarily omit.

To Mrs. Jane Clemens and family, in St. Louis: 

Yalta, Russia, Aug. 25, 1867.  Dear folks,—­We have been representing the United States all we knew how today.  We went to Sebastopol, after we got tired of Constantinople (got your letter there, and one at Naples,) and there the Commandant and the whole town came aboard and were as jolly and sociable as old friends.  They said the Emperor of Russia was at Yalta, 30 miles or 40 away, and urged us to go there with the ship and visit him—­promised us a cordial welcome.  They insisted on sending a telegram to the Emperor, and also a courier overland to announce our coming.  But we knew that a great English Excursion party, and also the Viceroy of Egypt, in his splendid yacht, had been refused an audience within the last fortnight, so we thought it not safe to try it.  They said, no difference—­the Emperor would hardly visit our ship, because that would be a most extraordinary favor, and one which he uniformly refuses to accord under any circumstances, but he would certainly receive us at his palace.  We still declined.  But we had to go to Odessa, 250 miles away, and there the Governor General urged us, and sent a telegram to the Emperor, which we hardly expected to be answered, but it was, and promptly.  So we sailed back to Yalta.