199 



This difficulty evidently increased, for in a letter dated the 30th 

 April 1953 Stuttard reported that the delay in getting equipment 

 might mean that he would have to go via the Mediterranean. 

 In my reply to this, dated the 5th May 1953, was the following: 



If you should go through the Mediterranean it will I think cause 

 the very greatest disappointment out here as there will be great 

 numbers of people, especially those who are supporting us, who are 

 hoping to see the vessel. Pictures of the vessel have appeared in all 

 the leading papers. I would not let them have any of you without 

 your special permission, and in any case felt that it would be better 

 when you are actually in South African waters. Another great draw- 

 back of your going through the Mediterranean would be that you 

 would be compelled to battle southwards against the monsoon, 

 which I can assure you is really appalling, and the run from the 

 Red Sea downwards would be something of a nightmare at that time. 

 In addition, I am planning to provision the ship very largely here, 

 but that is no insuperable matter if you can get sufficient foodstuffs 

 in England. You are likely to encounter difficulty in getting things in 

 Kenya. If the foodstuffs we are planning are to be taken, then I 

 think it will be advisable for you to load them here, as to get them 

 round to Port Amelia in time will be more than a nightmare. With 

 regard to all this, I should stress that we shall be more than content 

 if we get to the Comores by September. There is nd hurry, and we 

 get the best tides then. If you leave England even as late as the end of 

 June, assuming that it takes you 25 or 30 days to the Cape, you 

 should easily get to Mozambique Harbour well before the end of 

 August. I think it would be advisable for you to make Mozambique 

 Harbour our point of departure from the African mainland, as it 

 gives us a real northing in our crossing which we may be very thank- 

 ful to have. 



Stuttard considered this matter and wrote several letters about 

 it. Eventually, in a letter dated the 13th May 1953, he stated that 

 he would sail not later than the first week in July and come via 

 the Cape. 



That seemed definite and satisfactory, and in the meantime 

 Dr. Eigil Nielsen of Copenhagen, one of the foremost palaeontolo- 

 gists of Europe, had written to say that he was waiting for a final 

 decision from his University about participating in our expedition, 

 and that he was, in any case, planning to go and hunt for Coela- 

 canth fossils on Madagascar. 



