'Fifty cases of common earth, to be used for experimental purposes'.

Also the copy of the letter to Carter Paterson, and their reply.

Of both these I got copies.

This was all the information Mr.Billington could give me, so I went down to the port and saw the coastguards, the Customs Officers and the harbour master, who kindly put me in communication with the men who had actually received the boxes.

Their tally was exact with the list, and they had nothing to add to the simple description 'fifty cases of common earth', except that the boxes were 'main and mortal heavy', and that shifting them was dry work.