New York Marine Hospital,
April the 2d, 1892.

Master Brandon Tarr,

Sir:—As I am laid up in dry dock, as you might say, and can’t get up to see you right off as I promised your poor father, I am taking the first chance these swabs of doctors have given me, to write this.

Me and another man was all that was saved off the raft, as you probably know now, for your father was hurt so bad that there wasn’t any chance for him. He died ten days after we left the brig.

I want you should pack up your togs, leave that farm where no son of Captain Horace Tarr ought to dig all his life, and come down here to New York to see me. I shall be out of this hospital before long, and then we’ve got some work to do, like I promised your father before he died.

Captain Tarr put some papers in my hands which is of great value, providing they can be used at once. It seems your uncle Anson died several months ago in Kimberley, South Africa, and while he was at Cape Town loading up the brig, a fellow come aboard and told your father about it, and brung these papers.

Among the papers (though the fellow didn’t know it, so I understood from the few words poor Captain Tarr let drop) was a package of diamonds which he hid aboard the old brig, and was afraid to take with him on the raft for fear of the sailors that was with us. These papers I’ve got he said would tell where the diamonds was hid. I ain’t opened them yet, so I don’t know.

Now you may think this here is no use because the Silver Swan is wrecked; but I don’t believe she has gone to pieces yet; nor your father didn’t think she would right off. We would have done better by sticking to her, any way, I reckon. She was driv upright onto the reef, and I’ll bet she’s sticking there yet.

If you come down here to once, and I can get onto my old timber leg again, we’ll charter a boat and go down there and see about it. If it is as your father said—and I believe it—there’s enough of them diamonds to make you another Vanderbilt or Jay Gould.

Just you leave the land shark of an uncle that you’re staying with, and trust yourself to