l82 



the B.B.C., and in this he expressed views rather Hke my own, 

 saying indeed that the uhimate vertebrate ancestor of man was 

 probably something hke a Coelacanth. He said that when Dr. 

 Malan asked his rather whimsical question about the Coelacanth, 

 *Do you mean to say we once looked like that ?' — the answer really 

 was 'Broadly speaking, yes.* 



We could barely find time to open the constant series of 

 telegrams and cables from all over the world, and the sheaves of 

 letters were piled up and treated in rotation. Post Office revenue 

 for that period must have been very considerably augmented by 

 the Coelacanth. There was a constant succession of visitors from 

 far and near, all eager to see the Coelacanth, and it was difficult 

 to cope with them, so an illustrative exhibition was hastily pre- 

 pared. Everyone was so full of questions that, as we all had only 

 one voice each, I dictated a brief outline of the main points of 

 the whole affair, and had this posted up as well. 



Press representatives and photographers of papers and journals 

 from all over the world kept on coming, new arrivals being viewed 

 with disfavour by those earlier on the spot, and at times I won- 

 dered what we should do if the almost open general hostility broke 

 its bounds. They reminded us of a pack of bristling dogs waiting 

 for one to start it off. 



Mayor McGahey came to ask if he could arrange an official 

 welcome, and as the public would like to see the Coelacanth, 

 could we have it exhibited in the City Hall, and combine the two ? 

 We agreed to do all this on the 9th January 1953, and this was 

 duly carried out with a record attendance. 



At the request of the authorities of the East London Museum, 

 we later took Malania there, and with Latitneria alongside it was 

 exhibited for two days, which were a repetition of the earlier 

 historic times, for thousands of people in lengthy queues pressed 

 in constantly all the time. The fish was also exhibited by request 

 at Port Elizabeth, and attracted great attention. Many further 

 requests for exhibition of the fish came from far and wide, but 

 these had to be refused, as was also the generous offer of a Port 

 Elizabeth business magnate who offered to fly the fish and myself 

 to the Rhodesian Centenary Exhibition: neither the C.S.I.R. nor 

 I felt the risk justifiable. 



A Coelacanth can do strange things to scientists. My wife and 



