Volledige briefwisseling

Gerrit Jan Hofker aan Willem Witsen

Plaats: [IJmuiden]

Datum: [1 oktober 1898]

Verblijfplaats: KB 75 C 51

[1:1]

Ha, my old fellow, I did nt want such a very fine thing. It was only for the humber-bumber, you know. But how fine to behold well-finished cards are! How pretty to look upon it, following amidst the little mountains and the odd names, the railway trajects, I want to know. I will tell you a thing, I will keep your card clean, till you want it for your Indian journey, from here with a ‘blue funnel’, the ‘Antigone’, or ‘Ulysses’ or ‘Andromache’ or some other grecian-named, quite-english ship-named, Japan vessel. All quite-english ship-names are grecian names, this is the classical feature in english people, dutchmen want. And it is such a fine idea to give ships mythological names.

Kindest from

John.

What fine sight of Dordt, you did send!