October 27, 1932
Dear Margaret:
To-morrow morning I shall be off for Cape Town, and my next letter will probably be mailed in Madeira.
I have had three nice letters from you during the past week, and I am proud of you!
On Friday, October 21, I left Paris for Amsterdam.  On Saturday we had beautiful weather and I thought the rainy season was taking a vacation.  I spent the morning with Dr. Schuffner and his colleagues at the laboratory.  In the
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afternoon two of his associates took me about the town.  It is a very interesting city full of canals and fine old streets.  I was moved to recommence taking photographs after a couple of years interval.  We went to the National Museum to see the pictures.  The pride of the collection was the Night Watch by Rembrandt.
On Sunday I crossed the channel from Flushing (Vlissingen, Holland) to Harwich and it took over 5 hours.  We had unusually stormy weather and the London papers carried accounts of the heavy rainfall and winds.  The boat was small.
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I have had an interesting time in London.  Dr. Beeuwkes and Mrs. B. were still here, but they left Monday noon for Eastbourne in the south of England for golf and rest.  I have seen Dr. Findlay, and last night I had dinner at his home with Dr. and Mrs. F.  We ate pheasant, hot-house grapes, etc., and he regaled us with his war experiences.
To-day I went out to see the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and then I went out to the National Research Institute
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at Hampstead, where Dr. Hindle took me in tow.  Talked with Drs. Andrewes, Elford (ultrafiltration), Wilson-Smith (skin reactions), Douglas, and Mr. Barnard.  The last-mentioned showed me the virus of ectromelia (a guinea-pig disease) under the microscope.  Beautiful granules!  Perhaps the real thing.
Dr. Hindle took me out to the farm of the Institute and we had afternoon tea there with Dr. and Mrs. Dunkin, who (Dr. D.) has worked with Laidlaw on dog distemper.
And now I am back in the hotel getting ready to depart.  It is a great responsibility to get oneself and baggage from London to Southampton and on the boat.
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London is as ever.  I have eaten white-bait with brown bread and butter, cold toast, hot crumpets, boiled shoulder of bacon, cabbage, more cabbage, saltless potatoes, steak and kidney pie, choptoad, and porridge.  It was so dark on Monday that the street lights were lit at 11 a.m. and a yellowish-black cloud hung over the city.  It was like eight-o'clock at night and one could not resist the feeling that it was time to go to bed--just like chickens during an eclipse.  The sidewalks were wet all day long.
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The hotel servants thank me for everything and nothing,--or perhaps it is for tips to come.  To-night at Lyon's Corner (you remember it) I heard Mr. Watcyns sing while I ate.  Do you suppose that was really his name?!
I greatly appreciate the attention you are giving Ruth's program and agree with all you say.  I am sure you will work it out the best way.
Good night, Sweetheart,
Wilbur
P.S. On Monday night I went to hear the Mikado.  The house was packed.
W.A.S.