169 



Grahamstown aerodrome for 6 a.m., also four copies of my Sea 

 Fishes of Southern Africa, each inscribed with the name of the 

 officer concerned, and as follows: 



WITH MY COMPLIMENTS, IN MEMORY OF THE 

 'COELACANTH' FLIGHT TO PAMANZI, COMORES, 

 29TH-31ST DECEMBER 1952. 



Would she also find and bring along a large square of white 

 cloth, a piece of clean plank about a foot long and i o yards of string ? 

 My wife knows me and confined her curiosity, merely saying 

 'Right.' I realised that all this meant no sleep for her. Could she 

 cope? 'Yes.' Then she asked, as we intended calling at Grahams- 

 town, could not she and our son William come to Cape Town as 

 well ? Phew ! That was a poser. I said I would see what could be 

 done, and after ringing off spoke to Blaauw, who at once said it 

 was quite impossible as women were never permitted on mili- 

 tary aircraft. So I telephoned Brigadier Melville in Pretoria 

 again, 12.20 a.m. A weary voice spoke and I said, 'Smith here 

 again. Are you married ?' when weariness gave place to surprise. 

 'Then you will perhaps understand better why I am disturbing 

 you again at this unholy hour' ; and put my request. He whistled, 

 there was silence for some seconds, and when he spoke again he 

 seemed to be pulling reluctant words from his lips: 'It would be 

 highly irregular, of course, highly irregular, and I do not remember 

 that it has ever been done before ; but everything about this flight 

 has been highly irregular, so I suppose you can do it. O.K.' And 

 so at what had now become an early hour of the morning, they 

 made another call to Grahamstown to warn my wife to be ready 

 to leave at six. Then I thought I might get a little sleep. They asked 

 where I wished the Coelacanth put for safety, and when I said in 

 my bedroom of course, they were not surprised. I was escorted 

 to my room by the press still asking to photograph the fish, and 

 even when I started to undress, that did not discourage them; 

 they went on firing questions even when my shirt concealed my 

 head. Had I any photographs ? I nodded. Any hope of getting 

 any? 'No.' One by one they faded, but Natalie Roberts of the 

 Daily News, an old press friend, still stayed on. Though I was 

 clad only in shorts, she sat on the bed and talked, and when I 

 pointed out how scandalous it was, she just laughed. 



