TALBOT9757

British Museum
13^th February 1871

My dear Sir

It is with great regret I find you will not accept the office of President .

as you could have done more justice to it – than I possibly could – Any papers that you would contribute to it would be most acceptable as the difficulty of starting with good scientific papers and memoirs is as great as obtaining a large following. It is unfortunate that the machinery of Societies costs so much but we are endeavoring to start as moderately and yet respectably as possible. Like you I consider the Journal¹ the one thing essential and as soon as the Inaugural meeting has been made, and the Council nominated I shall set about seeing what can be done. Perhaps a publisher might undertake a Journal of a certain extent provided the Society took a certain number of copies. At present our numbers are under 50 and it would not be possible to start a journal till the Society had one hundred enrolled. I am sorry to say that no money was to be had for excavations in Assyria and Babylonia – for it was my intention to have initiated some more diggings in those regions. The IV. Volume of Cuneiform inscriptions is in hand.

– and will commence with bilinguals. The North British Review in its final number has an Assyrian and Egyptian article but that vehicle will it is to be feared cease soon.².

The III Volume it appears is on the point of issuing and your wishes that your copy should be sent to your address at Edinburgh.

have been sent in by me to the proper authorities you will no doubt receive it in a few days M^r G. Smith has 32 more pages of his work which he will post to you in a day or two³

Believe me yours very trly
S Birch

H. Fox Talbot Esq^e
&c &c &c