Howitt to Fison 21 November 1879

Transcription - Page 2

I have come to the conclusion that if
the Smithsonian fail us we must rely
either upon the Royal Society here or upon
ourselves. I do not care about the Ethnological
without they [sic] spontaneously open a new arm.
I have suggested to Ellery that if the
R. S. is impervious I should
be willing to give a modest subsidy but that
I could not answer for you but would tell
you. I wish I could see my way
to continue letters say by Native on
Australian Ethnological subjects - but
the fact is that I am so much occupied
that I dont seem to have time for anything
All that I can do in Ethnology is to
continue collecting information whenever
the chances offer in the hpe that the
future may enable me to digest it.
I am doing all I can to open up
communication with central Australia
- the North coast and Western
Australia. [I hope I - crossed out] I have hopes
of the former at any rate so far as
Coopers Creek is concerned. I am
now going to write to three people there
with whom my brother in law in Adelaide