11, Norham Gardens,
Oxford.
30. May. 1902
My dear Spencer
I was very glad to learn that you had got safely back from your trans-Australian journey, & I congratulate you heartily on a noteworthy achievement. The undertaking must have been a very difficult one & its execution must have called for all your pluck & grit. I heat that for part of the time you were having a very bad time of it, & Im awfully sorry to hear it. We are all looking forward to publication of some details of the trip, & later on to another epoch - making work on the natives. Did you succeed in bringing all your collections through? They must be
of immense value. The collecting possibilities mentioned in one of you early letters sent down from Central Australia, fairly made one’s mouth run. You must have revelled in stone knives. Amongst other things, I am eager to know if you met with any kinds of wind instruments of music (noise), also what forms of spear throwers (“woomera”) you met & in what districts, also what methods of fire making, & to what districts they belong. I greatly wonder what forms of totemism you came across & whether you have managed to upset Roth’s views in his own territory. I hope that there is a chance of our seeing you over here before very long. I badly want to talk with you. The Pitt Rivers Museum progresses
favourably in spite of its meagre funds, but one badly wants information at first hand, & that is a commodity with which you must be fairly bubbling over. Do contrive to come over before very long. I hope you got a letter from me at Port Darwin. I sent a short one there to welcome you on your arrival. I daresay you found a goodly bundle of correspondence awaiting you at the P. restante. I expect you will be far too busy to send me a line for some time, but I hope I shall hear, at any rate indirectly, that you are none the worse for the arduous journey & that Gillen too is flourishing. Things here jog along much as usual. Tylor is resigning the keepership of the Museum, & that office will probably be abolished & a “Secretary to the Delegates” appointed. A general
statement of University needs is in preparation. Science naturally has very extensive needs to announce. It is to be hoped that some pious donor or donors will provide the University with a really substantial sum to set it on its legs again, as we are awfully pinched for lack of funds. At any rate a statement of pressing needs should draw attention to our poverty as well as to our more laudable aims. I could just do with £20,000 to £25,000 for the Pitt Rivers partly for building & equipment, partly for income. Well, I am looking forward to seeing an account of your great doings, & I send my heartiest congratulations to you & to Gillen (who, however, wont know who I am) It is a great relief to know that you are safely through – With kindest regards & all good wishes
I .... .... sincerely
Henry Balfour
