From Robert Bell   28 March 1876

Dear Sir,

I enclose you a reprint of a letter which I have cut out of our principal Canadian newspaper, (The Toronto Globe) giving what appears to be a truthful account of the discovery of an interesting skeleton— The remarks of the writer about the form of the skull, the jaws & the forearms make his statement about the “tail” appear worthy of attention. The letter has evidently been written at the place from which it purports to come; and it is about the most unlikely locality in the world for the perpetration of a hoax—¹ At all events, I thought it might be of sufficient interest to you to read and therefore take the liberty of sending it to you.

We have telegraphed to Prince Edward Island asking for the skeleton for the Museum of the survey² and should it turn out to be anything like what the letter describes, I will take an early opportunity of letting you know.

In writing this note to you I am reminded of a circumstance which amused me very much at the time— In 1873, when I was making a geological exploration in the north west prairie regions, at Fort Ellice (a Hudson’s Bay Coy’s post on the Assinboine River) a gold-digger arrived on foot on his way across the continent from Lake Superior to British Columbia. He had no baggage and his clothing consisted of shirt, drawers and moccasins. He was walking from post to post, accompanying the H.B. Co’s freighting carts and begging his living, or rather living on the hospitality of the company. In the pocket of his shirt he carried all that he valued in the world, namely a receipt for the first instalment on a building lot in the new town of Duluth and a letter from yourself in explanation of some matter on which he had written to you, and which he took much pride in showing to the good people of the H.B. Company, who although they did not consider you orthodox, still thought you must be very good natured to take the trouble to write such a kind letter to this poor fellow—³

I have forgotten his name— He was going to the Cariboo diggings⁴ to try and work out gold enough to complete the payment of his lot in Duluth and if possible to build a house upon it.

Although I have not the honor of your personal acquaintance I have had much pleasure in reading your works from the “Journal of a Naturalist” (when I was a small boy) to your essay on “Climbing Plants”⁵—and I am | Dear Sir | yours truly | Robert Bell—