28 March 1861 

c/o (Letter to me to be enclosed in an envelope) 
13 Bellevuestrasse, Berlin, Dr F. Lassalle 

Dear Siebel, 

The secret of my journey, which wit. Have puzzled you to some 
extent, is as follows: 

As a result of the crisis in America the Cyclopaedia Americana,‘ to 
which I was a contributor, has been completely suspended; 
similarly my contributions to the Tribune, my main resource, have 
been suspended until the end of April, and reduced by half for 
the period immediately thereafter (apart from myself all their 
European correspondents have been provisionally dismissed). This 
was compounded by a double misfortune: Herr Vogt, which, 
combined with the lawsuit, etc., cost me nearly £100, and a 
frightful stroke of ill-luck in that my wife (although twice 
vaccinated) caught small-pox and was ill for two months during 
which time I had to run two households, since the children 
couldn’t remain at home. 

* Zalt-Bommel - > Lion Philips - © New American Cyclopaedia 

So, I had to look round for other resources. Party friends here 
had already proposed to me starting a newspaper“ in the autumn. 
Hence my presence here. More in my next. 

In the meantime, I have run into financial difficulties here (1 
shan’t be staying much longer). If you could lend me 
100-150 talers, you would oblige me. 

Before returning to England I intend to see you at all events, if 
only on account of the newspaper project (for which 20,000 talers 
are READY). SO, you must write and tell me, at all events, at which 
inn in Elberfeld I might best put up for 24 hours. 

Your 
K. Marx