T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 199

Doughty. Would get married before the edition is exhausted; but there is little chance of that. Please don't think of sending me anything more, I'm overpaid many times already in the pleasure of seeing A.W.'s show window for sale. The third edition is now the thing to think about. Will you please tell Mrs. Doughty that the drawing is being photographed in the best conditions by the South Kensington Museum people. If the results are passed by you, they will ask for permission to keep a copy for their library. I hope to hear of it tomorrow, and will write when I do. There is another request, but not mine this time. I'm only a pillar-box. The War Office are drawing a new and very elaborate map of parts of Arabia. They include the Hejaz, Nejd, Shaymar, and the Kasim-Mecca routes. They have used all published maps, including yours; but the scale is 1/1,000,000, about 5 miles to an inch. In some places, and so to supplement the published material they have used the MSS sketches in the note-books of Huber, Shakespear, Philby, myself and others. I was looking at the sheets of this map still of course in pencil, only drawing sheets, and mentioned to the officer in charge that your notes, ... , included one of local sketches: particularly I remembered one of the Medowwara kella, and the hills round it, which shows more than anyone else has shown.) He asked me at once if you would lend your notes. I said I'd write and ask - he would take the greatest care of them, and return them without marking or soiling them in any way; and would be very glad if he might keep them for some weeks at least, while his compilation along the route was made. He knows of course that you will probably not care to risk them out of your hands; but if you are willing, will you send them, registered of course, to Captn D. A. Hutchison, R.E., War Office, S.W.1. He will acknowledge receipt and express great gratitude. This has been a very long letter! my apologies, and please give my best regards to Mrs. Doughty and your daughters. Yours sincerely, T.E. Lawrence