Newnham College, Cambridge - Is sending the two reprints [not present], Mr Bosanquet's and her own; admires [F. M.] Cornford's grasp of mythology and ritual; asks if there is a parallel to the cannibal feast of Tantalus in initiation rites; thinks his lecture clears up the dispute between Cook and Cornford and Ridgeway; discusses mythical ancestors vs Ridgeway's insistence on historical persons; hopes he is coming to Ridgeway's lecture on Monday at which 'he proposes to demolish both Mr Cornford & me!'.
Highgarth, Gloucester - Received his letter [raising points in his review of GB], and admits that he was working from faulty memory as well; discusses religion vs magic in Australia, quoting [Alfred] Howitt who quotes [Samuel] Gason; has no wish for controversy with Frazer; 'mildly protests' that he did not question the authenticity of the Acts of St Dasius gratuitously, if it is established then the Abruzzian custom mentioned by Canon Pullen to Grant Allen, for which [Edward] Clodd got into hot water for repeating would be corroborated; doesn't think it would be wise to memorialize the Queensland Government to publish [Henry] Roth's collections, suggest [Alfred] Haddon phrase it in the most general terms.
Church Missionary Society, Fatahgarh, Tahsil Batala, Gurdaspur District, Panjab, India - Has been reading 'The Golden Bough' and shares two beliefs about the plover in the Panjab.
Highgarth, Gloucester - Has been away and asks what Frazer knows about [George McCall] Theal's 'Records of South-Eastern Africa' quoted in his article for 'Man'; hears from [Alfred] Haddon that Frazer had gone to Germany to see a doctor about his eyes; has read [Andrew] Lang's attack on GB, but thinks GB is not harmed by it.
Highgarth, Gloucester - Doesn't feel they have enough evidence to say what the origin of totemism is; doesn't see a clear line between magic and religion; mentions Baldwin Spencer's letter which points in favour of Frazer's theory; asks if he has read [Jesse] Fewkes' article on the Owakülti Altar at Sichomovi Pueblo; agrees with Frazer about [Andrew] Lang's use of [Alfred] Howitt and [Henry] Roth; is surprised to hear the story about [E. B.] Tylor wishing to supress a chapter in Spencer and Gillen's book; agrees with Frazer about [Frank] Jevons' difficulty because he generalized too soon; will write to [George] Theal.
Highgarth, Gloucester - Has been serving as Mayor of Gloucester, which nothing but the Education Act would have induced him to go through such an experience; thanks him for Salomon Reinach's letter about the story relating to the Perseus legend, and clarifies a few points; has not heard farther from [Charles] Hill-Tout on totemism; Dr [James] Hastings has been in touch about his contemplated 'Dictionary of Religion'.
Highgarth, Gloucester - In reading and reviewing 'Adonis' he has some suggestions on Herodotus' tale of prostitution of a maiden at the temple of Mylitta, on brother and sister marriage, whether the baloi are simply witches, on moonlight on children (repeating a belief of his old nurse), and on the 'awful secret'.
Royal North West Mounted Police, Office of the Comptroller, Ottawa - Thanks him for the Anthropological Questions and describes the steps he has taken to disseminate them among the Royal North West Mounted Police and the Indian Agencies as well, and asks for more copies; mentions the Eskimo are still very primitive, 'a few years' ago were in the Stone Age'; notices that the questions lack one about attitudes to insanity; [Charles Deering] La Nauze, the man who arrested the Eskimo murderers mentioned that they ate the liver and entrails to keep the dead men's spirits from molesting them; describes a man strangled because he was possessed by a Wendigo; suggests Frazer try the Hudson Bay Company, and mentions [Vilhjalmur] Stefansson, who probably wishes to use his anthropological observations for profit.
Royal North West Mounted Police, Headquarters, Ottawa - Thanks him for the 'Anthropological Questions' he has already sent and asks for more; again mentions that there is question of attitudes to insanity, and tells some stories relating to insanity among the Eskimo.
Highgarth, Gloucester - The letter he has is from Dr [Henry] Roth, who writes that he has found a tribe of aboriginal people who believe in parthenogenesis, and has a theory of the origin of taboo as the will of the strongest; was interested to read the new GB, suspects all martyrologies, including St Dasius; [Alfred] Haddon will make an excellent President for the Anthropological Institute, hopes he will not disdain the Folklore Society later on. A postscript discusses two items from GB, relating to the seclusion of the kings of Corea and concerning the Welsh verses in Vol. II, p. 178.
Highgarth, Gloucester - Sends [Frank] Jevons' article [not present]; says not to worry about [E. B.] Tylor, who is immersed in his Gifford Lectures; is glad [Franz] Cumont sent the note [about the Acts of St Dasius], is amused [Andrew] Lang misunderstands others despite complaining that others misunderstand him.
Highgarth, Gloucester - Shares information from a report from [Charles] Hill-Tout on totemism among the Siciatl of British Columbia.
Royal College of Science for Ireland, Stephen's Green, East, Dublin - Describes bull-roarers in the Torres Straits, suggests writing to J. D. E. Schmeltz, offers to send a drawing of one to [Lorimer] Fison for publication.
Inisfail - Is delighted he is 'on the war-path' [the Lorimer Fison petition for a Civil List pension?]; congratulates him on his lectures; gives two references to magical and divine kings. Docket of letter at top refers to the Fison petition.
University Press, Cambridge - Is sending the Anthropological Questions to the people in Lieut. Col. Hamilton's letter, which he is returning.
bei Peters, Jaeger Strasse 67, Berlin - [Georg] Berkholz has been dead for two years and his work is in the hands of Heinrich Diederichs; [Wilhelm] Mannhardt's MS is probably there as well; will send a copy of [Eadwine's Canterbury] Psalter.
13 Alexandra Road, Gloucester - Thanks him for his kind words about Walter Map's 'De nugis curialium' which he edited for the Cymmrodorion Society; is happy to hear how Lady Frazer has been employing her time ['Leaves from the Golden Bough'?]; delighted to hear that [John] Roscoe is giving the Frazer lecture at Cambridge; his friend Dr [William] Crooke has died.
King's College (University of London), Strand, W.C. - Has been reading 'The Golden Bough' and in reference to the custom of racing for the bride, mentions a custom in Whorlton, Barnard Castle, of a Ribbon Race at weddings.
[Blind embossed stamp:] 25 Lambton Road, Wimbledon, Surrey - Sends information on the folklore of mistletoe from Brittany and Nantes.
Concerning the sacrifice of a human bride to the Yellow River. A note in Frazer's hand at top clarifies that N.C. stands for North China.
Sunnyhill, St Stephen's Road, Bournemouth - Thanks him for the first section of the GB, and congratulates both him and Mrs Frazer, for he knows 'how eagerly she watches all that you do'; asks him to attend section II of the British Academy on the 22nd to ensure a quorum for [A. E.] Housman's nomination, in view of the recent deaths of [John] Peile, [John] Mayor, [Samuel] Butcher.
Trin. Coll. Cambridge - Thanks him for his kind letter, tells of [William Aldis] Wright's last days; did not realise they were moving to the [Middle] Temple in London.
Highgarth, Gloucester - Thanks him for his letter, is sending [Andrew Lang's] MS to [F. A.] Milne; had no idea that Frazer felt Lang had made an open insinuation of his honesty in an article in 'Fortnightly' and deplores their misunderstanding.
13 Alexandra Road, Gloucester - Thanks him for the opportunity [to give the first Frazer lecture at Oxford].
Greyfriars, Southwold - Discusses the belief that an unusual event during pregnancy can affect the child and similar beliefs amongst animal breeders, at length.
Greyfriars, Southwold - Calls Frazer's attention to J. A. Thomson's 'Maternal Impressions' who cites Dr J. W. Ballantyne's 'Teratogenesis, an Enquiry into the causes of monstrosities' and 'Discussion on Heredity in Disease'.
Trinity College, Cambridge - Thanks him for his Addison's 'Essays', and finds that his impression of Addison was secondhand, through Thackeray's 'Esmond'.
Highgarth, Gloucester - Sends him a MS by Andrew Lang of the book on totemism and exogamy that he never published [not transcribed], is proposing to publish one chapter of it, but wants Frazer's approval. A typescript note at bottom states 'Frazer's reply to this letter has not been preserved.'
Heyroun, Chaucer Road, Cambridge - Encloses a letter from F. N. Webb [not present, envelope carries a note that it was on 'greasing the nail'] relating to contagious abortion in cattle.
Greyfriars, Southwold - Discusses exogamy and inbreeding, at length.