T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 101

To G. Brough 13 Birmingham Street Southampton 15. June 1934 Dear G.B. That is good of you. In a new engine-design, one expects teething troubles, and you will (I hope) not find me unreasonable. So many of my own bright ideas fail in practice, that I have learned to expect things not always to turn out as planned. Incidentally we had camshaft-bearing trouble with our last new engine - and cured it by forced lubrication. Now I am nearly through this first batch of boats, and expect to leave for the East Coast on Tuesday next, in a formation of four. Our passage may take a week. After it I come back here, and would like to find a letter from you saying how long it will be before the box of tricks is assembled again in final order. Then I shall ask my bosses for three or four days off, to let me get up and down and do the transfer. I don't know, of course, whether they will let me go at short notice. The venerable relic is still champing along. If only the new engine is better, what a bike it will be! Yours ever T.E.S.