Letter to Captain G. Allan Hancock

Friedo, 24 VIII • 34

Dear Captain Hancock!

The 11 of July we gave 3 big letters for you to a young Swede Journalist {Rolf Blomberg} visiting the islands. This {sic, These} letters contained 70 pages more of the “Friedo book” and the happenings here in the past half year concerning the “Baroness.” With the same small Norwegian boat {Dinamita}, Lorenz (the compagnon {sic, companion} of the Baroness) left Floreana too. — Some days later I wrote you in a hurry some lines for controlling the big, important mail.§ Now, 6 weeks later on, we are told that the Norwegian boat, sailing from Santa Cruz to Chatham, has disappeared with his {sic, its} owner {Trygve Nuggerud}, with Lorenz and an Indian {José Pazmiño} & with all our mail too. Therefore, I will not send more manuscripts of the book until you are coming {here}—this, we hope—once more.

§ Ritter's “big important mail” may refer to the letters containing 70 pages of his manuscript. If so, his “some lines” may have been suggestions for editing the ms.

You would have got the manuscripts & the letters more than half a year earlier & with safety, if the settlers in the interior would not have prevented {it} following the traces of the “Baroness.” Any __?__ __?__ of us with an American visitor who ankered in the Post Office Bay. The young mother {Margret Wittmer} (using her baby {Rolf} to stir up sentimental pity in visitors) proved not to be the “harmless angel” she seemed to be {at} first; we do better to keep distant from that {sic, those} people too!

I will not seem more of a “back biter” — but they never were sincere to us & we {have} learned to be more cautious

against every “imitator” of our solitude.

(The song in the opera Carmen is right; where it hinges on Scoundrelism, rascallity and taking in men surely has won much, if such a woman is meddled in {sic, with}).

At this very moment is coming an Ecuadorian boat (“Esperanza”) — and in a hurry I must finish this letter.

Some of the copies of the lost accounts I can send you now again.

With this boat are coming 4 Germans, who will stay here for 4-8 weeks looking for settlements.

They tell us, that in Chatham people suppose Lorenz would have murdered the Baroness & Philipson {sic, Philippson}. Wittmers must know what had happened in the interior; we only know what we are told.

Perhaps the next time I can tell you more of this abusive affaire.

Now the time forces me to finish.

Cordially yours

Dr. Fr. Ritter &
Dore