Letter from Schaeffer to J. Lapierre announcing postponement of the season for lack of fundsClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer

Ras Shamra-Lattaquié (Syria) 19 November 1948.

Monsieur J.Lapierre Consul of France Larnaca (Cyprus)

Dear Monsieur le Consul,

I should at this moment be in your beautiful country. But two reasons have obliged me to give up my excavation season of 1948. [handwritten: de 1948] My credit has been reduced to 1400 Pounds whereas the expenditure planned for the purchase of land has considerably exceeded the estimates. M.Megaw informed me of this by letter of 24 Sept. The Mission must for 1948 contribute with a sum of 518/15/0 L towards the purchases in question, the government of the island contributing under our agreement an equal sum. What remains to me then no longer suffices for a rational campaign. I jointherefore add the balance to the credit of 1948 to that which I hope to obtain for our campaign of 1949. You have no doubt read the "statement" concerning the combined Franco-English mission at Enkomi. Having foreseen that the excavations will be of long duration and costly, I have negotiated an agreement with the Excavations Commission at the Min.des Aff.Etr.(Relations Culturelles) a contract for joint operations which secure for us the scientific direction and the publications concerning the excavations, while sharing with us half the expenses.

M.Dikaios will direct the Cypriot team and he is going to make this year a short campaign at Enkomi on a plot that I fixed last year by agreement with M.Megaw. Research will therefore not be completely interrupted this year.

For my part, I was able to send one of my collaborators to Nicosia for a fortnight, M.Coche de la Ferté, whom I charged with finishing the preparation of the material for the publication. He has no doubt left the island. The costs of his stay could be paid from the small balance which remained at my bank in Famagusta from my credit of 1947.

I have just been advised by the Barclays Bank at F. of a transfer of 400 pounds ch. to my account from your side and I thank you for it. I accept that this represents a partial payment of my credit of 1400 pounds for 1948. I would be grateful if you would have the enclosed letter sent at once to Famagusta so that this sum be placed at the disposal of the Department of Antiquities for the purchases of land. On the other hand, I would be grateful if you would send later 118/15/0 L to the same department to be taken from the £ 1000. that Malta will no doubt have sent to you soon . I have just been informed by the Aff.Etr. that my credit of 1400

Handwritten: £ for Enkomi 1948 was sent to Malta by telegram on 1st Sept. I beg you to have the balance paid into my account at the Barcl.