16 March 1866.5, Lansell’s Place, Margate. My dear child,

I arrived here yesterday evening, ¾ past seven.Siehe Erl. zu Engels an Marx, 5.3.1866. According to your instructions, I left my luggage behind me, in the cloak room, and was then landed by the omnibus at a small inn, called the King’s Arms. Having ordered a rumpsteak, and being shown to the coffeeroom, which was rather dimly illuminated, I took rather fright (you know my anxious temper) at a lean, long, stiff sort of man, midway between parson and commisvoyageur, solitarily and motionlessly seated before the chimney. From the vagueness of his glancelesss eye, I thought him a blind man. I was confirmed in that notion by some long, scarflike, narrow white thing spread over his legs, what with regular holes in it. I fancied it to be paper cut out by the blind man to serve as a catchpenny from the frequenters of the inn. When my supper arrived, the man began somewhat to move and what with , quietly took off his boots, and warmed his elephantine feet at the fire. What with this agreeable spectacle, and his supposed blindness, and what with a rumpsteak, which seemed, in its natural state, to have belonged to a diseased cow, I passed this first Margate evening anything but comfortably. But, in compensation, the bedroom was snug, the bed clean and elastic, and the sleep sound. When at the breakfast table, who stepped should step in but the man of the evening. He turned out to be deaf and not blind. What had so much vexed me—I mean the thing on his knees—was a pocket handkerchief, of singular fashion, with a greyish ground and interspersed by black eyes which I had mistaken for holes. Feeling shy of the man, I settled my bill as soon as possible, and, after some erratic course, hit upon my present lodging, in front of the sea, a large be sitting room and a bedroom, 10 sh. per week. When striking my bargain, the additional clause was agreed upon that, on your arrival,Die Töchter Jenny und Eleanor Marx kamen nach Margate um den 29. März 1866 und blieben 10 Tage. (Siehe Jenny Marx: „Sie können sich denken …“. S. 83). you will get your bedroom for nothing.

The first thing I did, was taking a warm sea bath. It was delicious. So is the air here. It is a wonderful air.

As to boarding houses, they are almost empty now, and, as I understood the librarian, hardly yet prepared for the reception of guests. As to dining rooms, there seems some difficulty to get at a proper one, but by the by this obstacle will be overcome.

And now, with my best compliments to all, by bye! Yours Mohr.

I have to-day already walked 5 hours.