In Search of an Unknown Race — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

9 VAN. Captain Peterson’s maiden sister resided, and now had come aboard in accordance with an arrangement with the captain, who was his guardian. ‘‘Van,” said Captain Peterson, as he nervously drew a tin case from his desk, ‘‘ 1—there’s something a—a— little out of the ordinary run of things to be talked over——” And checking himself abruptly, he stepped to the door which led to the outer cabin. There he listened, locked the door, and then, after glancing up the after companionway to make sure the slide was pulled over, returned to his seat at the table. ‘©As you know, Van,” he commenced in a low tone, ‘“the Rattler is bound for Para, in Brazil, and thence up the Amazon on a trading voyage.” Van assented. ‘“You have heard me speak of your uncle, Richard Vance Briscoe,” Captain Peterson went on, ‘‘ your father's twin brother, who sailed as passenger for San Francisco, in 1865, on board the Argonaut, afterward reported as lost on the Peruvian coast with all on board?” ‘That was the year before father died on the passage from the south coast of Africa,” replied Van a little irrelevantly. But the reference to the uncle he had never seen had suddenly suggested to his mind how utterly alone he was in the world. His mother had died at Van's birth, his father (who had been a sea captain) was buried in mid-ocean, and, so far as he knew, Van had neither kith nor kin in the world. Without replying directly, Captain Peterson took from the tin case a letter written on bluish paper like parch- (COPMIELOYO_ KS.