31 

 Long-distance trunk-calls were not to be undertaken lightly. They 

 took an awful time, and you often could not hear clearly. Knysna 

 has always been curiously isolated from the outside world. It will 

 be noted later that letters to and from East London took never 

 less than six days — 350 miles. Even today they take as many as 

 five. 



There was a shop with a telephone near by. It was close on i 

 p.m., and on my asking, the Knysna Post Office held out little 

 hope of my being able to speak to East London that afternoon at 

 all, it might just manage to get through before 5 p.m. when the 

 Museum closed, but Miss Latimer had no telephone at her house. 

 It is amusing to look back on the reaction of both Post Office and 

 the staff of that shop. East London ! That was a long way for a 

 telephone call ! After lunch I went into the village (Knysna), and 

 as soon as the Post Office opened sent the following telegram : 



'MOST IMPORTANT PRESERVE SKELETON AND 

 GILLS FISH DESCRIBED,' 



I also made provisional arrangements for a telephone call to 

 the East London Museum for next morning, and back at the 

 house wrote at once to Miss Latimer. I remember composing 

 and destroying half a dozen scripts, each shorter and containing 

 less than the one before, for I was afraid to say too much. Here is 

 the final draft. 



Written from Knysna. 



jrd January igjg 

 Dear Miss Latimer, 



Thanks for your letter of the 23rd last which has just reached me. 

 Your news is most interesting indeed, and I am very sorry that I am 

 not in Grahamstown or I should have come over to see your fish 

 within a short time. I shall be away for some time, and I am hoping 

 that you saved the gills and viscera of the specimen, since they are 

 most important. If all that was buried, you may still be able to save 

 the gills at least. 



I cannot hazard even a guess at the fish at present, but at the very 

 earliest opportunity I am coming to see it. 



From your drawing and description the fish resembles forms 

 which have been extinct for many a long year, but I am very anxious 

 to see it before committing myself. It would be very remarkable 

 should it prove to be some close connection with the prehistoric. 



