"You are too good in remembering the few words of encouragement I said to you when you first spoke to me about your experiments. The fact is that I have always regretted that my assistance in the experiments could not be of greater service; and, really, of us two I am the indebted for gratitude for the great service your discovery has done to me since the lucky day I had the pleasure of your acquaintance.
"My bad luck would not have it to allow my ship to go to England for the Coronation, though at first she was selected to be one of the three. Only two days ago I met one of our officers who was on the 'Carlo Alberto,' and he confirmed all that you wrote and all that has been printed about the magnificence of the naval review at Spithead.
"I wish now that I were with you, to be able to talk about what happened to me during this last cruise of ours, in relation to observations of nutrition. I can only report facts and feelings, and you may be able to connect them and assign the causes. You know I do not usually drink wine, only water; well, on the coast of Africa I had such a distaste for the latter that I was compelled to take beer to quench thirst, nor could I even endure mineral waters. My desire for food was quite changed, my physiological craving dictating to me quite plainly, as in a doctor's prescription, what I wanted. Even the best fish in the Mediterranean did not satisfy me. To-day it was eggs and to-morrow it was cocoa, but never meat that I felt the wish for. But what is a new caprice of desire relates to my smoking. I could not smoke a single pipe nor a cigar; only could I tolerate cigarettes, and those quite without pleasure. At Smyrna I almost fed on ices and lemonades, but always and ever I could eat (not drink) my cup of cocoa in the morning. The heat on the coast of Africa at Tripoli and Ben Ghari was intense, 108° and 110° Fahrenheit, with perspiration in proportion.
"So it seems to me that appetite is changed to suit latitude or climatic conditions, and all that we call our exotic pleasures of appetite, such as smoking, etc., are dependent on our nutrition. Anyhow, even in the hottest days, my strength never gave way, and I never felt that lassitude and general unfitness for work that was my companion in past years in hot climates, as in the West Indies in '86 and '87.
"I never miss an opportunity to spread the virtues of mastication, but most people are too indifferent to apply the practice long enough to get the habit established as we have acquired it.
"The first part of our cruise brought a great deal of suffering to those who are not assisted by a proper discrimination in nutrition. There was a scant supply of good food, and the bad food was very bad. I managed to get the best out of it with the assistance of my curious appetite, and did not suffer inconvenience as did the others. But we were largely rewarded in Turkish Asia,—a really blessed part of the world,—and especially at Smyrna. My day began in the bazaar and ended there, my eyes enjoying Turkish and Persian art in all their manifestations, from the rich Bokhara and Khorassan carpets to the Damaseo inlaid works, Rhodes embroideries, and so on. One sees that art has come from the East, and in every branch of it the influence of the meridian is always discovered and perceived. My great regret was not to be able to take it all away with me to Venice and divide it with my esteemed friends there for our mutual enjoyment. Curiously enough, at Smyrna I found a good bit of Italian pottery that I secured for almost nothing. It would have been a great thing if you could have been there to pass those ten days in Smyrna with me.
"I gave an order for some carpets to be made on measure, but it will take months to have them ready. Many people do not appreciate the old carpets, but to my taste modern ones do not have the velvety look or the souplesse and the softness of the old ones.
"I am sorry circumstances prevented my filling your commission. Had Dr. Van Someren been there, he is so fond of old things, I am sure he would have ruined himself.
"It seems as if we would remain here the whole of this month, and then I hope for a fortnight's leave to go to Venice; and I look forward to the pleasure of a long chat together.