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OXFORD UNIVERSITY ELLESMERE LAND EXPEDITION, 1934.

HAMPTON COURT PALACE .
MIDDLESEX.

14th May 1936.

Dear Lord Tweedsmuir,

I am writing to say that the book of the
Oxford University Ellesmere Land Expedition which
I have written is now finished. When I saw you in
London last autumn, you very kindly said you would
write a Preface for it, and under separate cover
I hope to send you the complete manuscript of the
narrative, without however the Scientific Appendices,
which are not yet finished.

The book is to be published by Hodder &
Stoughton early in the autumn, and the suggested
title which we shall probably decide on definitely is
"Arctic Journeys". It is, I think, rather suitable,
since the main work of the expedition consisted of three
separate sledge journeys which are dealt with very fully.
The book has already been passed with a favourable report
by the Literary Agent's (Christy & Moore), Reader, and
since then I have revised it extensively. If you have
time however to read some of it, I should be most grateful
if you would mark in any alternations which would help to
improve it, either in the grammer, or by a suggestion for
recasting any particular section. In particular there
are one or two places about which I am rather doubtful,
first of all with regard to the opening Chapter in which I
begin in Borneo and then switch to the Arctic. I was
wondering whether this is too unorthodox to be permissible.
There are also one or two sections which might possibly
be described as "purple," and if you think they could be
toned down or cut out with advantage, it would be a great
help if you would say so.