206 



of the original route via Cape Town. I was somewhat troubled both 

 because of the altered route, firstly on account of the rainy season 

 starting in Madagascar some time in November, and secondly 

 because I had been looking forward to seeing you in Grahamstown, 



I therefore altered my plans by booking a passage to Port Eliza- 

 beth in the Edinburgh Castle, Union Castle Line. I leave Southamp- 

 ton today and expect to arrive at Port Elizabeth on the ist August. 



In this way I get a whole month more time for the work in Mada- 

 gascar, and, moreover, I get an opportunity to see you in Grahamstown 

 one of the first days in August. 



Nielsen arrived at Port Elizabeth on the ist August 1953. He had 

 arrived at Jersey on the loth July 1953 and went to La Contenta, 

 where he met a few men and women on board, introduced as the 

 crew. Later he went to a maternity or nursing-home with Stuttard, 

 who introduced him to his (Stuttard's) wife, still abed, having a 

 few days before given birth to a child. According to Nielsen, he 

 was informed of the delay in sailing and of the change in route, 

 but nothing was mentioned about the possible severance of con- 

 nection between Stuttard and myself. After weighing the situa- 

 tion Nielsen eventually decided to leave, as outlined in his letter. 

 It was only when he got a cable from me at sea that he realised 

 that something had gone wrong in the arrangements between 

 Stuttard and myself. 



So, after all those months of strenuous work, there I was in 

 late July right back at the starting-post again, and once more 

 rapid action and decisions were called for. A vast amount of 

 material, equipment, and stores was waiting, including a ton of 

 explosives, and while the idea of just abandoning everything was 

 hateful, to go on meant finding a ship in a hurry. We must be at 

 the Comores for October and November at the latest, which 

 meant leaving before the end of August, barely a month. 



As will be outlined in the following chapter, I had other troubles, 

 for negotiations with the French had not been settled. 



It was suddenly announced over the radio that I had cancelled 

 the Coelacanth expedition. This I immediately contradicted. My 

 first move was to telephone Minister Paul Sauer, to whom I out- 

 lined the position and asked him if there was any vessel in the 

 Harbour Administration that would be suitable for my project, 

 and if so how could I set about getting it. He said his staflF would 



