24 October 1853
Mond. 24th Coolish—Reading, writing & walking A.M. sent sixty dollars to mother to pay her rent—which sixty dollars completely drained my treasury. Reading & writing P.M. After supper went with Birney to see Van Amburghs collection of animals, exhibiting here on what is called a floating palace—He has a very fine collection, and among them the best trained elephant I ever saw. Some twenty years since Van Amburgh had a menagerie in New York city, to which place my mother took me one afternoon to "see the wild beasts"—She had bought for me, the day previously, a beaut beautiful white silk hat,—then very fashionable for boys, and of which I was exceedingly proud, and which, of course, had to be worn on this occasion—Having embarked three cents in the