You will have received from me a letter about _The Wrecker_. No doubt it is a new experiment for me, being disguised so much as a study of manners, and the interest turning on a mystery of the detective sort. I think there need be no hesitation about beginning it in the fall of the year. Lloyd has nearly finished his part, and I shall hope to send you very soon the MS. of about the first four-sevenths. At the same time, I have been employing myself in Samoa, collecting facts about the recent war; and I propose to write almost at once and to publish shortly a small volume, called I know not what--the War in Samoa, the Samoa Trouble, an Island War, the War of the Three Consuls, I know not--perhaps you can suggest. It was meant to be a part of my travel book; but material has accumulated on my hands until I see myself forced into volume form, and I hope it may be of use, if it come soon. I have a few photographs of the war, which will do for illustrations. It is conceivable you might wish to handle this in the Magazine, although I am inclined to think you won't, and to agree with you. But if you think otherwise, there it is. The travel letters (fifty of them) are already contracted for in papers; these I was quite bound to let M'Clure handle, as the idea was of his suggestion, and I always felt a little sore as to one trick I played him in the matter of the end-papers. The war-volume will contain some very interesting and picturesque details: more I can't promise for it. Of course the fifty newspaper letters will be simply patches chosen from the travel volume (or volumes) as it gets written, But you see I have in hand:-- Say half done. 1. _The Wrecker_. Lloyd's copy half done, mine 2. _The Pearl Fisher_ (a novel promised not touched. to the Ledger, and which will form, when it comes in book form, No. 2 of our _South Sea Yarns_). Not begun, but all material 3. The War volume. ready. Ditto. 4. The Big Travel Book, which includes the letters. You know how they stand. 5. The _Ballads_. _Excusez du peu!_ And you see what madness it would be to make any fresh engagements. At the same time, you have _The Wrecker_ and the War volume, if you like either--or both--to keep my name in the Magazine. It begins to look as if I should not be able to get any more ballads done this somewhile. I know the book would sell better if it were all ballads; and yet I am growing half tempted to fill up with some other verses. A good few are connected with my voyage, such as the "Home of Tembinoka" sent herewith, and would have a sort of slight affinity to the _South Sea Ballads_. You might tell me how that strikes a stranger. In all this, my real interest is with the travel volume, which ought to be of a really extraordinary interest.