Madras. 14, Jan. 1931.Dear Abby:
I shall enclose a poor copy of India Inklings so that you may see how I occupy my vacations. I do not think it a good plan to return late but I cannot regret any of the trip. I also feel a little doubtful if it is good to move around so rapidly or to go to so enervating a climate as that of Travancore. It was much better after we got to N. Travancore and Cochin. Peermade which never got into the I.I. was a delight, also the Periyar Dam which diverted a river from the Arabian Sea into the Bay of Bengal in order to furnish water for S.E. India; it was higher there, 5700 ft. at Peermade, and comfortably cool. Coorg was also cool. However, I do not feel as rested as I usually do after a holiday, and now this Cholera inoculation has been a nuisance spoiling our Pengal holiday.
It is ages since I have written and your letters have been so good. As for me, I got involved in gardening - rock gardening, in particular. Gardening in India is a special thing; it involves restling [sic] with the general inactivity of gardeners, the difficulties of conveying ideas with no language but signs, and the unrestrained appetities [sic] of cows. The cows have not tried to eat the rock garden, but they have tried almost everything else - my new trees and shrubs. The higher the barricade the more they stretch. Last term was furiously busy and I never did catch up with myself. I feel now that one ought to stay only one year and not get involved, or stay three and finish up ones activities! I almost wish I were to stay another year. But I am so glad that you will be back when I get there - I think we shall need each other.
You are a dear to send me such a beautiful spoon; it will have a place all to itself in my establishment - I have nothing else that can do the sort of work it is fitted for or give the sort of elegance it can. I appreciate it more than I can say.
Eleanor evidently had a very good time on her trip and is very cheerful over it, after the cyclone episode had passed. She is feeling rather more rotten to-day than most of us - she takes her cholera harder. She was somewhat ill when we all took Bili-vaccines for cholera in Kashmir. But it is rather amusing to see a whole institution laid low, or at least made languid. Some did take to their beds, but most of us have dawdled around ineffectively. I made 8 cultures of ferns to-day and feel that the day is not a dead waste.
Did Eleanor write about our monsoon this year? It was a super-monsoon. We had 53 inches during Oct. and Nov. Very good considering that the average rainfall of Madras is 51 a year. Our raingauge which measures up to 6 in. overflowed twoce. I rather enjoyed it, all except the molds which got into everything, even my new camera, until after the cyclone. The cyclone did not seem very bad to me, until I saw all the trees that had gone down, but I began to feel annoyed when the rain kept on after the cyclone was over and continued into December which is contrary to rules.
The Warbekes are now in Madras; they called yesterday and will come to tea tomorrow and to dinner Friday, we hope. To-day they are motoring to Vellore with Miss Jackson of our staff and Miss Speakly of Bombay, in Miss MacDougall's car. I think they have had a rather strenuous time in India and I hope they will stop here a bit. It seems a big undertaking for one with Mr. Warbeke's health to try the Orient. The food problem must be difficult.
Now I am beginning to think of the return trip but so far no companions have appeared. The only fixed points are Java and Formosa; the rest are all to be settled later.
I'll try to do better with letters; yours are so good. But it all depends on how rushed I am.
I am nowin [sic] the act of arranging a Natural Science week-end excursion to Mahabalipuram - heavenly appt, 50 miles south of Madras.
Affectionately yours,
Alma