S.S. « Minnetonka. » Atlantic transport line Nov. 16, 1929

My dear Tom,

We very much appreciated your kind telegram, which started us on a not unsuccessful trip ; though it has been pretty rough weather for part of the time. Also the boat is very empty - a lot of sailings cancelled, for obvious reasons, at the last moment – and there is nobody on board particularly worth talking to. They have evidently made up their minds to the same effect about us, so we have been living a peaceful & vegetative existence. We're due at Cherbourg soon after noon tomorrow, Sunday, & with luck may get in to Tilbury on Monday morning, if we catch the tide.

I can't adequately express how grateful we both are for all your kindness, from the meeting in those vasty halls of Custom at Boston onwards ; what visitors to America do who aren't privileged with your friendship I don't know ; yet there must be some.

I have advised Helen that it might not be wise to post you a bottle of those tabloids against mal-de-mer : I believe your customs are pretty strict about drugs, and hyoscin, which these contain, is almost inevitably a prohibited import. But if you know better they shall be sent ; and otherwise will await your passage through London, and possibly insure seeing you for as much as five minutes.

Yours ever Eric Maclagan