My dear Smyly,
I arrived yesterday and
your notes on the Amherst papyri came
today. It is very good of you to have
taken so much trouble, and many thanks
for doing so. We will examine all
your suggestions carefully.
We didnt find much more after the letters
I wrote to you. But the mummy cases we
have got ought to make a fine volume
There are about 30 papyrus² mummies
in good or very fair condition, besides pieces

of many others. Probably we shall
publish them in 1903.
I am sorry the crocodiles you have arent
more interesting, but We I expect these we
have here are better. As to λαογραφία
some of them, we know, are as late as
Augustus' reign and the ratio of 450:1
for copper & silver belongs to that time
I dont think there is any doubt about
the ratio of 120 : 1 down to the end of the
2nd cent B.C. at any rate. Brugsch's
(explanation of the demotic papyri
(of which I was ignorant when writing App.
III of the Rev. Pap) is quite in harmony
with the Greek evidence. We shant
by the way want to include any Roman

papyri in the crocodile volume, which will
be big enough without them. So dont bother
about the Augustus ones, which are
palaeographically quite distinct from the
others and much more to read.
We went and saw the American man³ in
Egypt & fixed matters up so far as
we could, but it is necessary for the
proposals to be ratified by the
millionairess,⁴ from whom we expect a
cable shortly. If she is favourable
we hope to force the Fund to accept
the crocodiles as this year's volume,
but the negotiations are rather ticklish
and Mahaffy's ill-timed review of us⁵
in the Athenaeum⁶ hasnt helped
matters. However I hope things
will go straight and that we shall

be able to start work on the crocodiles
early in June. It will take us till then
anyhow to finish the Amherst [illegible] papyri
ἐᾶν δέ — ὅ μὴ γένοιτο — the arrangement
between the Fund & Americans for a joint
volume doesnt come off, we shall have
to do an Oxyrhyncus vol. this year
& postpone the Tebtunis papyri. I will
write and let you know, as soon as the
question is decided— which will be
not later than the beginning of June.
There is no chance, I am afraid, of our
having time to come to Dublin, 'till the
autumn anyhow, but I am very glad
you will come in July. Probably we
shant go out again till after Christmas.