Letter from Megaw to Schaeffer with the "Draft Communiqué"Arthur Hubert Stanley Megaw

Printed: DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, CYPRUS.

Figure: circular official seal (Cyprus government crest); labels: none legible

No. [illegible]/1946

Stamp: Telephone No. XX

Nicosia, 10th December 1946.

Dear M. Schaeffer,

Many thanks for your letter of 13th November, which I replied to [illegible] so you were sorry to hear that you were not feeling at your best. I hope that you will be able to spend as much time as possible at Enkomi, now that you have permission to return there.

Doctor [illegible] seemed to get through a great deal in the short time he was here and carried off a further collection of sherds on loan for study in Paris. Our draughtsman made a number of drawings for him (free of charge, of course) and Kerchilla took various photographs, for which he had to pay only the cost of developing and printing.

He also warned Dikaios that he should be prepared for disappointment in the figures from the bottom of the north trench. Verdiko then pressed very strongly the claims of the [illegible] between the [illegible] and your [illegible] north trench. In this he thought there had been much [illegible] disturbance that elsewhere. Referring to your plan, [illegible] conditions are confused and [illegible]. Hence my second reply, I hope very [illegible]. I should be grateful for your prompt and favourable reply.

I visited Dikaios at Enkomi yesterday; all was going well and he had no serious [illegible] weather interruptions. Unfortunately since my return to Nicosia the weather has rained almost continually. He has opened a long trench down the slope between the two existing trenches, about [illegible] distant from them. The principal features so far are some good masonry blocks about the width of the tremendous [illegible] with the village trenches [illegible] metres. He has opened out east and south from the central part of the trench and for a stretch he is going down to the sub-Mycenaean level only. He has upwards of 90 men and 4 carts at present and with this number should open up a considerable area before Christmas, if the weather improves.

I lately received your 6400 and after meeting ahead with the transfer of the mosaics, which I hope will be completed by 25th, as the initial programme is to be completed by the end of the year.

Yours sincerely,

Handwritten: signature

Typed initials and address, partly illegible

Dr. A. H. S. Megaw, c/o Institut Français, Nicosia.