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hot sun, the sea at Walvis is cold and the fish do not decay seri- 

 ously for several days. I slept less than usual that night and next 

 morning sat at the wireless. More news came, it was one of the 

 greatest killings for many years. This was Friday, the trawler was 

 due back only on Monday, the catch was moderate, there was still 

 plenty of room in the fish-holds. I naturally wanted to return at 

 once, and so the battle started, a running naval battle, with all the 

 odds normally on the skipper, but I kept on. Eventually he agreed 

 to return early, but only by one day, and we were set to arrive at 

 Cape Town by the mid-morning of Sunday. I was in a fever of 

 anxiety and slept not at all, my mind was buzzing like a machine. 

 Walvis Bay is less than a thousand miles from Cape Town, but 

 it might in some ways be on the moon — at least, it was like that in 

 those days. To go from Cape Town to Walvis by sea or road was 

 ruled out on account of time, air was the only way. Nobody on 

 the trawler knew anything of private planes, they doubted if there 

 were any. 



The moment we docked — Sunday — I went to the telephone. 

 It took some time to find out, but it soon became pretty certain 

 that no charter plane was available that could reach Walvis Bay. 

 The Air Force was the only way. After incredible difficulty 

 (Sunday !) I made contact with a responsible official in that force, 

 but he was less than encouraging, saying that it would be impos- 

 sible even to think of such a thing without the permission of the 

 Commander-in-Chief who was in Pretoria, and even then the 

 Government might not permit it. It was very clear that as time was 

 the vital factor, to try to do anything via Pretoria was quite useless ; 

 it would have been even on a weekday, and this was midday, 

 Sunday. 



I was determined not to be beaten. Smuts I He was the key. 

 He had the reputation of being interested in science. I had not 

 met him, but was due to do so the very next day. The Trustees 

 of my book of fishes (then in preparation) had decided to ask him 

 to write a foreword. Our Albany member, T. B. Bowker, had ar- 

 ranged that I should meet Smuts, and an appointment had been 

 made for the next afternoon, Monday. That would be too late. 

 How could I see him that day } 



I sat in that office at the docks going over in my mind whom I 

 could get to give me the approach. It would be Sunday of course 



