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54 Cours Napoléon Ajaccio (Corse) - Thanks her for the cake from the birthday party; Martine [Giamarchi, a great niece] is reading the history of M. Blanc and 'Le Rameau d’or'.

54 Cours Napoléon, Ajaccio (Corse), Easter Monday - Thanks her for the photographs; reacts to her news that they are thinking of getting a bigger place, and that Sir James can work 5 hours a day; discusses arrangements to visit Paris in May; Martine [Giamarchi, a great niece]loves to read what Lilly sends; his nephew has retired and they will be going to Cannelle earlier; will be attending a wedding of the daughter of old friends and relatives.

Transcript

Meadow Brow, Grasmere.
VIII. ’02

Dear Mrs. Eddington,

My last duty is now one of simple good wishes.

The men up for Physics Hons. were a set much better than in any previous year. Any of the first three would have been top in any other year; & Stanley was well ahead of the others, & obtained over 80 per cent on the whole examination.

He will find a larger sphere and more competition at Cambridge; and I trust we shall hear he is bearing himself well under it.

With best wishes
I remain
Your friend sincerely
John W Graham

Transcript

1912 Sept 3. 11.a.m.
R.M.S.P. Arlanza {1}

My very dear Mother,

We are now on our way between Lisbon and Madeira, and are due at the latter about noon tomorrow; after that the long period away from land begins. I did not hear from you at Lisbon, so fear that the mail must have gone before you posted. I hope you got on all right and are having better weather.

We have had glorious weather the whole way so far. Southampton {2} gave us a parting shower and then the sun came out brightly and has never deserted us since. We had a pretty view of the Needles and Isle of Wight and reached Cherbourg about 6 o’clock where we took on a lot of passengers. We sailed again about 10 o’clock. Before breakfast next morning we were passing Ushant and entered the Bay of Biscay. It was quite smooth, though not exactly glassy; very different from last time I crossed it. The day was bright but not hot. The next morning (Sunday) we were across the Bay[,] and passing C. Finisterre and the end of the Pyrenees the coast looked very pretty with the hills (not very high) well wooded and little villages by the shore. It was now very hot but there has always been a fresh wind. We called at Vigo but did not go ashore; however I visited it well with my opera glasses and took some photographs; the town itself is small, primitive, and not very interesting but the Estuary is fine. We go a little way up the river (I dont know its name) and there are some islands at the mouth which make it very pretty. We took on a tremendous crowd of Spanish emigrants here. They are packed close but seem very happy and lively.

I was up early on Monday morning for the sail up the Tagus to Lisbon. The misty morning light made it very delightful. We went ashore after breakfast (Davidson and J. Atkinson {3} did not land) and stayed until 4 o’clock. You hardly realise Lisbon is a capital city; it seems more a sort of market town. It was very interesting looking round[;] we spent most of the time (which passed very quickly) doing the markets and so on. We went round the Cathedral however, which has a fine high dome and saw many interesting things including the mummy of a saint. We lunched off fruit[—]grapes, apricots and figs[,] which were very nice and wonderfully cheap (very nice tasted {4} purple grapes at a penny a pound)[.] We sailed back to the ship in a sailing boat. We spent altogether 2685 reis which sounds ruinous but is about 9/6.

The ship did not sail till about midnight. Today is I think a little cooler and the sea is not so smooth; but our boat is not much disturbed by it. It is a lovely blue sea with brilliant sunshine.

I have a deck-chair up on the observation deck so get plenty of sun and air. I dont read much more than I did in Norway. This boat is just like the Avon {5} so I know my way about well and, as I told you, we have the same captain {6}.

We are at the Captain’s table but he is not coming to meals until we leave Madeira[.] The other occupants are Mr, Mrs & Miss Unwin; Mr. is some man of importance in S. Amer. but we dont know what. Atkinson tells me he (Unwin) is a radical speaker (A. being a Conservative orator). The only other occupant, my neighbour, is Lady Macpherson-Grant {7}. I am afraid she is going to be rather a bore. However we get plenty of fun with Atkinson. Atkinson who is 67 is a wonderful old chap, as hard as nails; he has been everywhere almost and seems to know everybody. He is always bubbling over with mischief. He is a barrister but has given up practising, breeds and runs racehorses, used to play cricket for Yorkshire, has invented a number of mechanical contrivances which have had great success and directs or manages a number of companies. He is a very keen educationalist on the Northampton County Council and was telling me about their scholarships “but . .” he said {8} “we have n’t done like Somerset yet, I always hold up Somerset to them; they got a Senior Wrangler”[.] I had to enlighten him, as he [had] no idea I was a Somerset Scholar {9}.

I had a good long talk with the Chief Officer last night who knew something of Christina. It seems to be a nice place and the climate and weather prospects first rate.

Of course, we eat tremendously, the meals being much like those on the Avon. I have my bath at 7∙30 so get a little exercise before breakfast at 9. Lunch is at 12∙30, tea at 4, and dinner at 7. They have rather more of a gymnasium here than on the Avon; one very good arrangement is an apparatus for rowing, it feels exactly like real rowing.

I shall have to send with this my best wishes for many happy returns of the day; 60 this time isn’t it? I shall have to give a joint birthday and Christmas present when I get back.

Please give my love to Uncle A. Aunt F. and Arthur; I hope you are not in trouble with the floods, but have heard no English news, whatever.

With very dear love to Winnie & yourself from your affectionate son
Stanley

—————

Letter-head of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company.

{1} ‘R.M.S.P.’ is printed. The Arlanza, a sister-ship of the Titanic, was built in Belfast by Harland & Wolff for the Southampton–River Plate service. She was launched on 23 November 1911 and came into service in April the following year. She was capable of carrying 400 first-class, 230 second-class, and 760 third-class passengers.

{2} The ship left Southampton on Friday, 30 August.

{3} ‘(Assistant)’ has been added below ‘Davidson’ and ‘(Amateur Astron gone with them)’ above Atkinson, all in the same unidentified hand.

{4} A slip for ‘tasting’.

{5} The R.M.S.P. Avon, of 11,073 tons, was built in Belfast by Harland & Wolf in 1907.

{6} Captain Pope.

{7} Either Frances Elizabeth, the widow of Sir George Macpherson-Grant, 3rd Bt, or Mary (d. 1914), the wife of Sir John Macpherson-Grant, 4th Bt.

{8} This word, which is at the end of a line, is followed by superfluous inverted commas.

{9} Eddington won a Somerset County Council Scholarship in 1898. See Douglas, p. 4.

Transcript

Passa Quatro
1912 Oct 7

My very dear Mother

We are getting near to the eclipse time now and our preparations are practically complete today. Nothing much remains but rehearsals & practices before the eclipse takes place. We have got two volunteers {1}, who are just the kind we wanted, young fellows whom we met and got to know on board the Arlanza. One of them Aguirre has been three years in England learning engineering and he is a great help; the other Andrews is of an English family but was born in Brazil and speaks rather broken English. The Brazilian government pays all their (and our) expenses here. They arrived here last Thursday {2}.

We are a very large party here now as there are four expeditions with their volunteer assistants and so on. We all have déjeuner together at the station and dinner at the hotel. Some of the later arrivals sleep out in other houses.

We are having a very pleasant time here though there is plenty of work to do. We (ie the Greenwich party) make tea at the camp every afternoon on a wood fire; and we have a great deal of fun. Yesterday (Sunday) we took a half-holiday (for the first time) and had a beautiful walk. We did not get very far as there was so much to stop and see. Aguirre was a good guide and able to tell us what the plants were. The bamboos growing in clumps are very graceful. The banana trees (in flower now) look very ragged and ugly. The castor oil plants and wild pineapples (not edible) are very abundant. The ants are very interesting here; the white ants’ nests being often taller than a man. We are not much troubled with insects and have seen no mosquitoes. We had coffee in the afternoon at a little wayside shop; it was quite an amusing experience.

Last night there was a cinematograph performance and nearly 20 of us went to it (the Brazilian government paying for us!!) The performance was not very interesting, but the village audience was decidedly so.

You would be amused to see us all riding down to the Fazenda (eclipse camp) on an engine. There were about 20 of us today clinging on in various places—the cow-catcher is the best seat.

I do not expect to reach England until Nov 9 and have given up thoughts of the earlier boat. I was very glad to have your letter of Sept 11.

The rooms at the hotel are very bare of furniture. I am writing this at the camp as there is practically no opportunity at the hotel. Dinner occupies most of the evening lasting from 7 to 9. It is a terribly complicated affair of about 12 courses, chiefly meats of various kinds.

We have had a few wet days last week but yesterday and today have been beautiful days.

With very dear love from
your affectionate son
Stanley

—————

Letter-head of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Numbered ‘7’ at the head in pencil.

{1} Olyntho Couto de Aguirre and Leslie Andrews. See the Report in MNRAS, lxxiii, 386.

{2} 3rd.

A supplementary collection of papers of Clive Bell which contains Bell's appointment diaries from 1913 to 1963 as well as a few literary items and material on the history of the Bell family.

On headed notepaper for Newnham College, Cambridge. Typed, with autograph signature. Certifies that Ambrose has been a student of Newnham and a 'recognised research student of the University of Cambridge' since October 1932.

In 1932-1933 the courses she attended were 'Metaphysics' with Moore, 'Philosophy', and 'Philosophy for Mathematicians' with Wittgenstein, and 'Advanced Logic' with Braithwaite. This year she is continuing the first two of these, as well as attending courses on 'Types of Deductive Logic' with Braithwaite and 'Theory of Functions of a Real Variable' with Ingham. Professor Moore is the supervisor of Ambrose's research work.

Transcript

1. A servant (not an Englishman) who understands cooking.

2. A bed w[hic]h shuts up into a portmanteau—canteens, every article in w[hic]h ought to be made of metal; as glass & earthenware cannot be purchased in Greece.

3. Take your clothes &c in portmanteaus, not in trunks, as the former are more easily packed on the backs of horses, & are not so easily broken as the latter.

4. A small medicine chest. Take particularly James’s powder & Bark both of w[hic]h saved my life. You cannot have too much bark with you, as what you procure in the Levant is very bad; & you will be perpetually asked for it by the Greeks.

5. Flannel—w[hic]h is not to be procured in Greece, & in case of illness is very important.

6. I sh[oul]d recommend a tent. It is not indispensable; but it is better than bivouacing, or sleeping in the dirty cottages of the country. With a bed, tent & cooking apparatus, you may defy the filth of the Grecian Khans & houses w[hic]h is not inconsiderable.

7. A military cloth cloak, water-proof & made so as to cover you completely while lying down.

8. As the winters are very short you will want very few woollen clothes—take plenty of nankeen & other thin dresses.

9. Lay in a good stock of tea either at Malta or Gilbraltar. In Greece it is very scarce & bad; & after fatigue or during illness it is most valuable. Coffee you will get every where. If you have plenty of room in your baggage a cargo of portable soup you will find very often of service.

10 Do not omit to take an umbrella—not for protection against rain, but against the sun.

11. Begin your days journey before sun rise—& lie by during the heat of the day. Avoid the evening dews & in every thing conform to the customs & advice of the natives

11. Take a Thermometer—a long tape line divided into feet & inches for the measurement of buildings—a foot rule—a compass—knives—pencils—with powder—telescope—pistols—a sword &c &c. If you have not use for all these things you will find them very acceptable presents to the natives when you wish to oblige any one.

12. Arrowsmiths large map of Constantinople & its environs. It is in general very correct though deficient in names. In going from place to place mark carefully the number of hours it takes you to perform the stage—& the name of every village & town, or the road, omitted by Arrowsmith. Such an itinerary through Greece wd be very valuable—By your compass mark particularly the course of the famous rivers.

13. D’Anvilles maps of antient Geography w[hic]h will be invaluable to you in a tour through Greece. He is sometimes wrong in the position he assigns to antient towns & you will be able to correct him.

14 Voyage de jeune Anacharsis. The edition in 3 large 8vo Vols with maps & plans I found very useful. Take also Chandler’s travels

15 I sh[oul]d take a Hist. of Greece—perhaps Gellius is best for a tour—& a good selection of Greek Authors—Homer—Strabo & Pausanias are quite necessary. You will read in the verses of the former, descriptions of manners w[hic]h are not yet extinct amongst the Greeks & I particularly request you to notice all the domestic arrangements, or religious ceremonies of the modern Greeks. I received a great deal of amusement from that research & generally found the prototype in the antient poets. It is surprising how little they have changed in many respects.

16. Villoison in the preface to his Homer says that in a mountainous district between Epidaurus & Nauplia in the Peloponnesus, dwell {1} the Tzacones, descended from the Spartans, who retain the antient form of expression more than any of the Greeks. This will be a very curious subject to investigate if you have an opportunity

17. If you go to Yanina there are several objects of research in the neighbourhood. At a small distance are the ruins of a theatre w[hic]h is supposed to be on the scite of the antient Cassiope†. It is one of the finest in Greece. Make a tour from Yannia to Suli. In that neighbourhood is the district in w[hic]h the antients placed the descent to the Infernal regions. Two rivers flow near Suli supposed to be Cocytus & Acheron. Trace them to the sea & observe whether they do not first fall into a marsh or lake, the Acherusia palus, according to the description of Thucydides B. I. The whole tract of country near Suli is well worth seeing independent of its classical interest as its features are of a very grand & sublime cast. To the N. of Yanina the ruins of Dodona at the distance of some days journey are still visible as I was informed by a Greek of information Athanas Balidar {1} with w[ho]m you will become acquainted at Yanina

18. Visit the vale of Tempe w[hic]h is very beautiful—Ælian’s description (in his Var. Hist.) you will find very accurate[.]. Visit Caterina a place under Olympus to the N. of Tempe. There are in it I was informed marbles & inscriptions w[hic]h may perhaps be important. Ascertain if possible the height of Olympus & the other great mountains as Parnassus & Pindus.

Alisson {1} to the N. of the Peneus you may visit & try to make out the inscriptions there w[hic]h are much defaced. At Thermopylæ trace the pass. You will find the warm springs & some of the river mentioned; as the Spercheus—but the pass is very much widened except in some parts.

Delphi is a very interesting place. The remains of the temple of Apollo are under a shed at the top of the village & the walls are covered with inscriptions. The Castalian fountain falls between the two peaks of Parnassus. You may search for the Corycian cave w[hic]h has not yet been determined. By Pausanias’ account it is some way up the mountain. There is a stadium above the village. The Games were celebrated below in the vale. Try to find the Hippodrome

At Livadia try to determine from Pausanias w[hic]h is the cave of Trophonius; what they shew you as such may possibly be so but in some respects it does not answer to his description.

At Thebes there is hardly any thing to be seen. You may determine from the Poets & Historians w[hic]h is the Cadmæa†, the mountain of the Sphinx—& Dirce.

On the road from Thebes to Athens you will pass over mount Parnes—& about the place where you first get a view of Athens, was situated Phyle. There is an old ruined tower in this position w[hic]h I conjectured to have been part of Phyle. This you may investigate

The frontier town of Decelia w[hic]h was fortified by the Spartans in the Peloponessian war was situated somewhere on this range—though I imagine further to the East & nearer Athens. Its position has often been enquired after & never accurately determined. It will be worth while to pay some attention to its investigation. From some passages in Thucyd. & Xenophon it appears that it was so near the Piræus that ships sailing into that port were discernible from it. It was therefore on high ground & you may probably find its scite somewhere on the Northern parts of the plain of Athens between Parnes & Hymettus.

Between Livadia & Thebes visit Chæronea & Orchomenus where are marbles & inscriptions. Here & every where else copy faithfully what inscriptions you see[.] Near Chæronea see whether there are any remains of the Copaic {2} lake, & whether it is as famous for its eels now as it was in the time of Aristophanes.

At Athens you will find a† excellent Cicerone in Famuel† who will explain & point out every thing. There are there two rivers the Ilissus to the E. of the Acropolis—the Cephissus to the W. I want to know whether they unite before they reach the sea. Will you take the trouble to ascertain this—& also whether we dont pass over a bridge across the Cephissus in the way to the Piræus

Near Sunium try to find the remains of the mines w[hic]h were worked by the Athenians

Visit the I. of Ægina where there is a beautiful temple

Crossing from Ægina to the Peloponessus go to Epidaurus & from thence to a place called Tero {1}, where there are several ruins particularly a very magnificent theatre the finest in Greece.

Go from thence to Argos, Nauplia di Romania, Tiryns a very curious old town the walls of w[hic]h are as old as Homer’s time—Mycenæ, where are some very interesting ruins—Nemea

From Argos go to Tripolizza & in the neighbourhood see the {1} ruins of Tegea & Mantinæa. At the latter place observe the course of the river. It was turned I think by Agis, when he besieged the place, so as to make a breach in the walls of the town.

From Tripolizza to Leondari & from thence to Sparta. The ruins of old Sparta are very inconsiderable, & situated about 2 miles to the E. of the modern town Alistra {1}. Observe whether in going from Leondari to Sparta you cross the Eurotas, or whether you keep all the way on the left bank

From Sparta visit Mania†, if possible, though I believe it is an enterprise attended with some difficulty. The Maniotes are independent, & do not acknowledge the power of the Turks. They are the only Greeks who have preserved their freedom.

From Sparta cross Taÿgetus to Calamata, or if that is not practicable return to Leondari & from thence proceed along the Southern parts of Arcadia w[hic]h are very beautiful to Caritena & Andruzzena. At the latter place enquire for a guide to shew you the σηλαι {1} & you will be conducted to the ruins of the temple of Apollo Epicurus at Phygalia, which are situated on the borders of Arcadia & Messenia in a most romantic solitude.

From hence visit Messenia if you can. I did not see it, & therefore cannot give you any directions.

From Andruzzena go to Olympia (now called Miracca) & endeavour to determine the position of the temple of Jupiter[,] the stadium, the Altis or sacred grove[,] the Cronium or hill of Saturn mentioned so often by Pindar.

From Olympia to Pyrgo[,] thence to Gastugni, in the neighbourhood of w[hic]h are the ruins of Elis w[hic]h are insignificant—thence to Patrass & so on along the romantic shores of Achaia to Corinth.

At Corinth see an old temple, & if possible get admittance to the Acro-Corinthus.

Near Corinth see Basilices {1} the antient Sicyon.

Investigate the Isthmus—Lechæum & Cenchreae the two ports of Corinth & see whether you can find any remains of the canal w[hic]h was begun across the narrowest part of the Isthmus. The ruins of the wall built by the Peloponessians are visible

Cross part of Mt Œneus {1}, & Cithæron to Megara. On the road are very fine views of the Isthmus & the two seas.

From Megara to Eleusis & thence to the Via Sacra of Athens.

Keep a full & accurate journal of every thing you see, w[hic]h you ought to write on the spot, & never trust to memory even for a day.

—————

Superscript letters indicating abbreviations have been lowered, and the missing letters supplied in square brackets, e.g. ‘w[hic]h’.

{1} Reading uncertain.

{2} Followed by a superfluous comma.

† Sic.

Letters relating to the Wrangham medal, making reference to the design (5 Feb. 1849) and production of the medals (21 Jan., 6 Feb. and 8 Oct. 1850).

Asks him to see Mr Wellsteed, his attorney

"I want to see Mr Akerman to-day by all means !"

Kensington. Will meet him with William Cobbett jun in the White Swan at Norwich. Asks Clarke to send on the rest of the turnip seed

Reigate. Will pay their bill as soon as he returns to London

Kensington. requests Mr Riley to arrange for £400 to be bought to him

Requests that a stamp register be sent to R B Davidson at Minsinghive and that 4000 paper bags and packing thread be made ready; endorsed "If Slater brings his bill again, tell him to come on Saturday or Monday"

Kensington. Requests copies of the reports of the Emigration Committee, bills from Slaney and Horton

Kensington. Send £60 to James Cobbett and keep £40 until he hears from WC, corn market did not rise the previous day despite good weather: Kensington

Barn Elm. Will visit him at his house.

Barn Elm. Requires 400 large bags urgently, a cart will collect bags, mats "and all" the following day

Barn Elm. Encloses letter to Mr Smith of Liverpool who owes around £65, also a letter for Mr Scully of Dublin who has sold a number of his books, black walnut wood, paper from Tipper has not been sent to Kensington

Barn Elm. There will be a great reaction against the Catholics, orders, order for 8000 Locust Trees

Barn Elm. Summons to "a Council", has sent a letter to The Herald, list of persons to whom to send copies if it is printed

Chilworth. Going to Barn Elm, wishes him to meet him there, worry about William, cylinders have arrived

Barn Elm. Must inquire about the barrel of seeds that arrived about three months ago, John Akerman to catalogue some of Cobbet's books

Barn Elm. Has sent a petition to the House of Lords against the body-selling bill

Barn Elm. monetary problems of the nation, prices must come back to the levels of 1792, sends article for the Register

Barn Elm. Pork and mustard, sends the rest of the copy for the Advice, wants the proofs that night

Asks whether Mills has a letter for him?, encloses items for post