[1]1
Huuf Cottage,
Yelverton,
R. S. O.
S[outh]. Devon
Dec[ember] 15. 1903
Dear Sir
Yours [sic] letter received this morning was quite an unexpected pleasure; as I had nearly given up hopes of [1 word illeg. struck through] Hasan2 receiving any attention.
I tried him with six or seven magazines; but without success: and I fear least [sic] you also should find your labour thrown away upon him. The reason is, I think, that the subject is rather an incongruous one. [2] An audience who would be interested in the "Arabian Nights"3 as a rule not caring about Licence and vice versa. At any rate you are quite at liberty to make what use you like of my paper. Thoug I gave the substance of it from rough notes, viva voce at a meeting of the Plymouth Lit[erary]. Inst[itute]. So that it is not perfectly unpublished.
I am quite sure I may leave it to you to give me a fair share in the credit of the discovery such as it is: But what I should like best would [3] be, what you first proposed "to incorporate the greater part of your (my) paper, and print it in our joint names". But as you might find that this was impracticable I will leave the matter entirely at your discretion. There is one other point which I have not alluded to in my paper because the evidence was too slight; but which might or might not have some relation to our Hassan [sic], In the introduction to "Sales" Koran4, mention is made of a "Hosein el Basrah"5 who was a great man among the Mutazalite Moslems6. Now our tale is remarkable for the very high [4] state in which women are placed. The sentiment of the relation between the sexes, almost, reaching to the best Christian sentiment on the subject. The idea did suggest itself to me, but no more, that if this Hosein of Basra [sic] had ever travelled to the East and come in contact with the high civilization of the Buddhists in Celebes7; it might account for his views in this respect and have formed a base for the story.
If you do get a paper on Hasan published, I should like to know; so as not to miss it
I am | Yours very truly | F H Balkwill [signature]
Dr. A. R. Wallace
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP1331.1110)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP1331,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 30 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1331