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on boat bound for India; Mills' book; similarity between log drums and canoes |
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S.S. City of Canterbury, at sea |
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I was so moidhered with one thing and another before I left that I cannot remember what I said when I last wrote. I think I did write to express a hope that the root-pruning operation was as successful as anything unpleasant of that sort can be, but I don't think I acknowledged the copy of the paper in MAN, for which very many thanks, or let you know that the cases from the P.R.M. arrived safely and in good time. If the museum is really good enough to pay carriage perhaps it would credit it against the cost of sending those things to Stevens. I paid 8/3d for the cases to Dolau. |
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I left Stella in the nursing home in Landrinbath doing very well, and Patrick, the new arrival, likewise. |
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We had a filthy voyage to Gibraltar, but pretty good since then and it had now lasted long enough for me to detest all my fellow passengers, though some quite decent fellows and the remainder harmless. It is a very empty boat. I expect I shall just see Mills - probably in Gauhati. Did I tell you that his book on the Aos is now in the press? Smith's, I expect, is out by now. There isn't much information in it, but it is going to be useful in some ways. Mills' will put the lid on the series. I expect you will be getting the galley proofs before long, as I gather from Mills that he is getting you to write an introduction. I think I sent you a copy of S.N. Mazumdar's egregious account of the Aos in 'Man in India'. I hear that he is also publishing separately. One point struck me as worth notice - he says that the "drum" at Nankam is kept tied to a stone by a rope. I have never spotted it, but will verify. It looks like the chunk of coral used to anchor a canoe. I suppose you have never struck references to the use of canoes as "drums" (or gongs)? I can only get hold of two statements that the crew hammer "tunes" (my own word) on it with the handles of their paddles. |
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I will write again from the N.H. |
