io8 



the world he really was not in a position to do anything, and he 

 was equally emphatic that even the Commander-in-Chief would 

 not be able to do anything without authority from the Minister, 

 and even he might have to get the approval of the whole Cabinet. 

 I suggested that a flight of this type would provide quite excep- 

 tional opportunity for the training of young pilots, but the sounds 

 that came from the receiver in response were not encouraging, and 

 I felt as if I had been beaten flat, face down, into the mud of des- 

 pair. He concluded by assuring me that I had as much hope as 

 trying to get a plane to the moon. That pulled my head out of the 

 mud a bit, and I told him we should see about that and, after 

 expressing my thanks, returned once more to zero point. I have 

 never met this man, nor do I know his name, and I only hope that 

 subsequent events made him think more kindly of my apparent 

 lunacy. 



Our friends were most concerned about our obvious state of 

 tension and distress, and had begged us to take some relaxation 

 despite the urgency of the matter. We had therefore agreed, that 

 Boxing Day, 1952, to go to lunch, to tea, and to dinner at three 

 different homes, it being clearly understood thai each appoint- 

 ment might have to be cancelled even at the last moment if any 

 Coelacanth development required it. We dared not risk being 

 away from the ship the whole afternoon, so it was arranged that 

 we should be taken back after lunch and after tea as well. 



We were probably deadly guests at that luncheon, but our 

 charming hosts were old friends, considerate and expert at making 

 even corpses feel at home. Even so their tasty food almost nau- 

 seated me. There was fish, but I could see only Coelacanth. It 

 was a hot day, and there was a specially delicious cold drink ; but 

 I could think only of formalin, and all the time my mind kept on 

 switching over from the Comores to Prime Ministers. It looked 

 as if it would have to be that, after all, and was it going to be the 

 same story over again ? Anyway, this was the third day and I was 

 no nearer my goal, still at the starting-point, in fact. 



We returned to the ship and had hardly got off the gangway 

 when a distracted young Purser's assistant came shooting out of 

 his office and said, with a distinct flavour of reproof, 'Thank 

 heavens, you've come back. Professor. We've been driven almost 

 crazy by people and the telephone wanting you urgently. Please 



