T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 7

Mount Batten. Sunday, 7th June. P/Lieut. W.H.C.Beaufort@-Greenwood. Sir, I attach the advance copy of my report upon the final trials of 200 at Hythe and her run down here. It makes no great effort to labour the bad patches of sea we met, as two months ago we had four hours of much worse going up from Cornwall, and then abundantly proved her sea-worthiness. It is very good fortune that we had Wing Commander de Courcy on board this time. I think her ability to come easily through the Needles bit of rough stuff pleased and surprised him. The loose note would do for the Power Boat Company, perhaps. You will censor it, I hope, before you send it on. I forgot to tell you the little I could hear of Groves and Gutteridge. Nothing concerning their financial backing, I fear; they are not big, and have no elaborate equipment of machinery. Most of their work is hand-done, and they are not fast workers; but everybody says they are very good and careful in what they do. They have excellent boat-builders and foremen, and encourage them to do their best work. That is as far as the hand-work goes; opinions seem to differ upon their designs. The ...entino's