Images courtesty of University of California, The Bancroft Library.
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My dear President Wheeler,1
As foreshadowed in the Preface
to Part I of the "Tebtunis Papyri", the time
has now come to make arrangements concerning
the publication of Part II. Our scheme
with regard to the volume is as follows.
It will consist of (1) an account of the excava-
tions and miscellanious antiquities, (2) texts
of the Roman period with translations and notes,
(3) appendices on points arising out of the
book, (4) classified indices, and we estimate
that the volume would amount to about
500 pages, being thus somewhat smaller
than Part I. As regards plates we shoud
like a couple of maps and about 15 process-
blocks2 of various directs. Collotype facsimiles
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of papyri are not necessary, thoug[h] we should
be very glad to include some, if you wish
to increase the attractiveness of the volume.
With regard to the printing, we propose to
send the account of the excavations and
all the texts to be printed the Oxford
University Press, when we leave for Egypt
at the end of November. Next summer we
should correct the proofs of these and
complete the appendices and indices, so
that the volume could appear in the
summer or early autumn of 1906.
No payment either for to the printers
or to us, the editors, would be required
until the volume made its appearance.
The total cost would, we estimate,
not exceed £8003 (divided about equally
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between the4 editing and printing), against
which would be set the profits on the sale.
I hope that this scheme will meet with the
approval of yourself and the Committee of
Publications and that, if so, you will
kindly authorise us, as soon as convenient,
to proceed with the publication. We have
already devoted a great deal of time this
year to the decipherment (which is now
nearly finished), and propose to devote
ourselves in October and November exclusively
to preparing for the first two sections
for the printers. I look forwad to hearing
from you with all the greater eagerness
because some rumours have reached us
in connexion with Mrs Hearst,5 which
made us fear that there might perhaps
be difficulties with regard to the
publication.6 I hope however sincerely that
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the difficulties, if they exist, can be
surmounted. It would be most unfortunate
from every point of view if the publication
of Part II were delayed.
2. "[A] general term now technically employed for the photo-mechanical processes by which illustrations are reproduced in printing," Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., s.v. "process" (1).
3. £83,844.35 when adjusted for inflation (1904 to Apr. 2025), according to the Bank of England inflation calculator.
4. "the" is supplied here despite being partially cut-off by a hole punch.
6. In 1904 Mrs. Hearst pulled back from her charitable giving due to mining losses. The Hearst Egyptian Expedition was canceled at this time.