T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 32

Rythe, Tuesday, 22 Dec. 193. SIR, Flight Lieutenant Norrington rang up Mr. Barker today and asked about the Ryland position. I do not quite know what the answer was. It has all been stripped from the B.H. engine of 202, and dissembled. One very weak point of design was found in the gear. The parts are now on the floor of the drawing office, adn Quiloh, the draughtsman, is trying to work out the practical arrangement of the re-design that Mr. Scott-Paine prefers. Till he gets through, it is too soon to go into details He may finish the paper work tomorrow. Then there are castings to be made. I give it 10 days (and Mr. Barker a week ) before the set is replaced/ in the boat for trial. They will have to use wires, not rods and ball- cranks, in the linking up, to minimse cutting the boat's frames and fittings about. Anyhow the new wiring will give them some trouble to insert. Meanwhile the carpenters are improving the windscreen and th wheel-house roof trapdoor fittings etc.: while the need here to take frost precautions has shown the need for drain-cocks on the dingy engine, and on the exhaust pipe joint of the 37½ footers. They are