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Show-through, reversed text: I shall be here until dec.10 returning then to Beyrouth to embark on S/S Pace on dec.17th. My Beyrouth address is c/o Institut Français d'Archéologie B.P.1424. My address here M.A.F. Ras Shamra, Lattaquié Syrie.
Lattaquié, november 19., 1948.
Show-through: Yours sincerely
Handwritten: illegible show-through signature
Dear M.Megaw,
After nearly a fortnight's discussions, visits at the president and ministers, interrupted by minister absences and my work at the Institute at Beyrouth, I have now reached Ras Shamra and can trace my work for the next month. I see, there will be no time left to reach your shores this year. The prolongation of our work at Malatya and the delays here have eaten up the 1 1/2 month I had intended to come over to you. I am very sorry not to see you and Dikaios and not to continue at Enkomi this year.
But I would in any case have been obliged to cut down my work following the devaluation and the reduction of my pound credit. So after all it is more reasonable to postpone work, to spend part of my funds for the acquisition of the plots and to add what is left to next years credit.
I have asked Barclays Bank in Famagusta to send you the 400 £. actually available. Another 100 £ will follow shortly.
I am glad to know that Dikaios will be able to begin work ad[handwritten: ad.] joining the area of the Maison des Bronzes and I wish him best of [handwritten: luck] luck. I would be obliged to him to have a look on the contact stra-tum between the late and the middle Bronze Agge the duration of which is yet unknown as well as the causes which may explain the interrup-tion after, I would say, 1700 xxxx or 1650 approx. All signs to illustra-te the sismic destruction of the XIVe c. and the study of the dying away of the city in the XIIIth or XIIth c. would also be very well-come.
Of course, I will send the Department offprints of all articles concerning the Enkomi dig hitherto published by me. I think I have delivered already offprints of the article in R.A. about the 1946 campagne. I hope at least I did, for I received only 15 offprints and there are no left at present. Of the 1947 campagne I have not yet published anything beyond a short article in the C.Picard edition of R.A.1948 concerning the city wall. As soon I get the offprints, I shall send two of them to the Department. Also AJA in its latest number 1948 (?) has published an article of mine on Enko-mi of which I hope to receive off-prints. Finaly in Stratigraphye Comparée I, there is a note on the subject (pp 582-588). I hope Dik. got the copy I have sent him by Coche. Unfortunately, I got so few author copies that I cannot offer one to the Department. But I hope your library fund will allow the purchase of a copy. I would be glad to know your and Dikaios' opinion on my Cyprus chapter in the book.
I hope Coche has been able to work in the museum, I have not yet received his report and think he has now left the island.
65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain