Letter from Megaw to Schaeffer on land leased for cultivation, with an enclosed plan and Schaeffer's replyArthur Hubert Stanley Megaw

Printed: GOVERNMENT OF CYPRUS

Printed: coat of arms

Printed: DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES

Tel. No.: Our Ref.: 53/52 Your Ref.:

NICOSIA 11th August, 1956.

Dear Prof. Schaeffer,

The time has come round again to decide which parts of the acquired area at Engomi should be leased for cultivation. The new leases would be for one year starting on 1st September. I attach a tracing on which the excavated areas are shown and also the plot numbers and would be grateful if you would indicate the plots, or parts of plots, in which you do not propose to excavate in your next season. I note that the cultivation rents paid to your account last year amounted to £20.750, and since then we have acquired some new areas including those along the west wall.

To the owner of one of these west wall plots we have lately had to pay £5 from your account for compensation covering the period between the last payment to him and the date on which he was paid the purchase price. As no funds existed in your deposit account we transferred £5 from the balance of your last contribution for acquisitions, in which £1 and 750 mils now remains. We have no further acquisition expenditure in view, but I would be obliged if you would send when convenient £70 to cover your half share of the wages and cost of living allowance of the custodian during the first half of the current year. The exact figure is £69.437.

I have just heard from Bérard the very distressing news that his consignment of vases from Ktima suffered heavy damage in transit to the Louvre. I await a report from those who carried out the packing but as it was to have been in charge the same man who packed the last Kouklia vase consignments, which appear to have arrived intact, it seems possible that rough handling on the voyage was responsible for the damage.

Yours sincerely,

Handwritten: signature

Prof. C.F.A. Schaeffer, M.A.,D. Litt. Le Castel-Blanc, 14, Rue Turgot, St. Germain-en-Laye.

Handwritten: ⊕ Exclusive of the area excavated in your last campaign.

Figure: faint handwritten marginalia in pencil and ink, partly illegible, including "£150 ... deposit ... Megaw" note at left margin; labels: illegible