MARX TO ENGELS 7”? 

Algiers, 1 March 1882 
H6tel Pension Victoria, 
Mustapha Supérieur, 
Boulevard Bon Accueil 

(Letters can now be sent to me 
direct at the above address) 

Dear Frep, 

The telegram 78+ I sent you anticipated my postcard,* as the latter 
would have caused somewhat unnecessary anxiety. The fact is that 
thanks to an accumulation of unfavourable circumstances of a petty 
nature (incl. the sea crossing), I have been frozen to the marrow, my 
corpus delicti having landed at Algiers on 20 February. 

December was an atrocious month in Algiers, January fine, Febru- 
ary cold when not also damp. I struck the 3 coldest days of the said 
last month, the 20th, 21st and 22nd of February. No sleep, no appe- 
tite, a bad cough, somewhat perplexed, not without an occasional 
bout of profunda melancolia, like the great Don Quixote. At once THEN 
back to Europe, no go, what with the faux frais, on top of which the 
prospect of another 2 nights in one of the cabines, one’s brain tortured 
by the racket from the engines! Or again, certain escape from the guid 
pro quo* by setting off at once for Biskra, right next to the Sahara 
Desert? But difficult, considering the fact that the means of communi- 
cation or transport demand a further journey of 7 to 8 days and, ac- 
cording to the advice of someone familiar with the conditions, no 
small undertaking for a pro nunc‘ invalid in view of possible incients 
before arrival in Biskra! 

Anyway, as the thermometer on the aprés-midi‘ of 22 February indi- 
cated fair weather and I had already spied out the Hotel-Pension 
Victoria on the day of my arrival in company with the good Jupiter 

Cc 

@ See this volume, p. 202.-” Here: offending body -* unforeseen expenses -? Here: 

topsyturvydom -* temporary -‘ afternoon 

Fermé, I left the Grand Hétel d’Orient (also sleeping there tHE abomin- 
ABLE PHILOSOPHICAL RADICAL Ashton Dilke—sy rue sy, to de Petit Colon 
and other petits yournaux Algériens* every Englishman 1s a Lord, EVEN 
Bradlaugh ricures Here as Lorp Bradlaugh) with bagage to une des 
collines en dehors de la fortification, du cété de PEst de la ville. 
Magnificent position here, from my chambre‘ the bay of the MEDITER. 
RANEAN, the port of Algiers, villas climbing up the collies as in an 
amphitheatre (des ravines au dessous des collines, d’autres collines au 
dessus) *; further away, des montagnes,* among those visibles being the 
snowy crests derriére Matifou, sur les montagnes de Kabilie, des points 
culminants du Djurdjura.' (All the aforementioned collines are of lime- 
stone.) At 8 o’clock in the morning there is nothing more magical 
than the panorama, the air, the vegetation, a wonderful mélange of 
Europe and Africa. Every morning — at 10 or 9-11 or thereabouts MY 
PROMENADE between des ravines et les collines situées au dessus de la 
mienne. 

Wits att THAT one lives on nothing but dust. In first instance only 
FROM 23-267H FBR. REALLY EXCELLENT CHANGE; but now (and nevertheless 
I’m still so frozen that even THEN the only difference between my cloth- 
ing in the Isle of Wight ??* and my clothing in the city of Algiers is 
that in the villa I have up till now simply replaced the rhinoceros 
greatcoat with my light greatcoat, no other change having been 
made so far) there began (and will doubtless last for some 9 days 
reckoned from the 271n Feb.) the so-called temp éte, c.a.d. le tapage 
du vent sans de tonnerre et sans d@’éclairs," DANGEROUS AND TREACHEROUS TIME 
MUCH FEARED EVEN BY THE NATIVES. SO in fact only 3 really fine days up 
till now. 

Meanwhile, my cough got worse From pay To pay, le crachement abo- 
minable,' little sleep, * above all a certain nasty feeling that my left side 
is once for all deteriorated by the perish, and my intellectual state 
most dejected. Thus I summoned Dr Stephann (best Algiers doctor). 
I had two interviews yesterday and to-day. What to do? I am just 
go[ing] to Algiers to make prepare his prescriptions given; they are, 
after he had very seriously examined me,* 1. collodion cantharidal: 

* the Petit Colon and other little Algerian papers - one of the hills outside the fortifica- 
tions on the eastern side of the city -* room -* hills (ravines below the hills, other hills 
above) -° mountains-' beyond Matifu of the mountains of Kabylia, the highest peaks 
in the Jurjura-* ravines and the hills above mine-> tempest, in other words a roaring 
wind without accompaniment of thunder or lightning-' vile expectorations - 
} cantharidic collodion 

applied with a pinceau*; 2. arseniate de soude” in a specific quantity of 
water; 1 tablespoon of same at every mealtime; 3. au cas de besoin, 
especially if the cough comes on at night, a tablespoonful of a mixture 
of codéine and julep gommeux.* He is coming again in a week’s time; as 
to my bodily Exercises, has ordered me * to keep within very moderate 
limits; no real intellectual work except some reading for my distrac- 
tion.* So in fact I shan’t be back ar London a sir (RATHER A LESS) sooner! 
*Hence a man ought never [to] delude himself by too sanguine 
views! * 

I must break off as I have to go to the chemist in Algiers. *By the 
by, you know that few people more averse to demonstrative pathos; 
still, it would be a lie [not] to confess that my thought to great part 
absorbed by reminiscence of my wife, such a part of my best part of 
life! Tell my London daughters* to write to Old Nick‘ instead of ex- 
pecting him to write himself first. 

How is Pumps going on in that serious work of man-creating? Give 
her my best compliments. 

Give my compliments to Helen,‘ ditto Moore, Schorlemmer. 

Now, old good fellow, 

Yours,* 
Moor 

* Apropos! Dr Stephann, like my dear Dr Donkin, does not for- 
get—the cognac.*