1946

Curium Excavations, Episkopi, Limassol, Cyprus.

8 April, 1946Dear Mr. Hill,

Thank you very much for your telegram dated 21 March which reads as follows:

JOHN SUSANNE READY RETURN EPISKOPI JUNE JULY ACCEPTING STIPEND OFFERED TWENTYFIVE HUNDRED PLUS EXPENSES INCLUDING BABYS ATTENDANT PLEASE CONFIRM=

My answer of March 25th reads:-

YOURS CONFIRM 2500 YEARLY STIPEND BEGINNING JUNE OR JULY PLUS FAMILY EXPENSES AND TRANSPORT TATION TO AND FROM ATHENS WRITING=

"To and from Athens" [handwritten: ✓] should have read, of course. I now have your letter of 21 March which arrived expeditiously enough on the 25th. Excuse my not having answered you more promptly. I see from your letter that GWRA may provide for their passage to Cyprus in return for the one promised to America, or else give them the equivalent in cash. I feel it to be only fair that Curium Excavations should bridge any gap in their comtransport expenses as may be caused by their coming down here; whatever GWRA may decide to do; and should we not be obliged to provide for all their transportation, as I had anticipated we should, then I agree we can afford to be generous in regard to the stipend and pay something more in the end than the twenty-five hundred promised. The Museum will be very fortunate having such a good team to work for them, and I for one very glad to have them back again here at Episkopi.

In answer to your question regarding transportation services Egypt-Cyprus, the old Fouhadier sails every ten days from Alexandria via Port Said for Cyprus, sometimes calling at Haifa or Beirut, or both; and in Cyprus always at both Famagusta and Limassol. Every 20 days, that is to say on alternate sailings, she sails direct for Egypt from Limassol; and I believe also on alternate sailings from Egypt to Limassol, but I shall check up on this and advise you in due course. I hear the British Oversea Airways will be taking passengers from Athens to Cyprus and Cyprus to Athens in the near future. If the youngs were able to book a passage now for June or July, they would have little trouble probably, in obtaining seats, and in view of the uncertain amount of time they might have to remain in Egypt, were they to come by ship, this might prove the cheaper as well as the more expedient way of coming. Perhaps the nurse and child need not come … continues