University of Michigan
Professor Boak
August 18, 1923
My dear Kenyon:
It is a sincere pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your kind note of July
30 and the first report on papyri sent by Nahman in July.
In order to save time I sent you on August 16 the following cablegram:
"Kenyon, British Museum,
London, England
DEMOTIC NOT NEEDED KINDLY DISTRIBUTE AS YOU THINK BEST WE TAKE TEBTUNIS
LOT AND LATIN AT WHATEVER PRICE AGREED ALSO OTHER GREEK AND COPTIC
YOU ASSIGN TO US SANDERS CAN BRING MICHIGAN AND COLUMBIA PAPYRI SEPTEMBER.
KELSEY."
In explanation, I need probably only to refer to what was said previously about
the Demotic papyri. We can take these if they are worth the price, but
in the interest of scholarship we think it would be better if they could
go to a library where work upon them would immediately be commenced
by a man competent in Demotic. We have as yet no such man here. If,
therefore, the British Museum does not care to keep any part of the
Demotic, we expect that you will give to other institutions, as Bodleian
and Rylands Library, an opportunity to take such parts of the Demotic
papyri as they may wish, and we will take only such residue, if there
should be any, as should be left over in the division. We have a small
number of items of Demotic now, but none of them are important.
The price of Packet I will of course remind you of the correspondence with
Nahman, including the cablegram, of which a copy was sent with you some
weeks ago. The items of this packet fit in so well with the big lot
which we acquired two years ago that I feel we must have the whole collection.
We know that you will make the best terms possible for the collection
of packets as a whole and for this Packet in particular.
Westermann will, I know, be glad to have the Zeno fragments unless someone
else needs them more. We have corresponded upon this subject.
I assume that you will wish the balance of the Meletian letters and the christian
material.
Professor Sanders will call on you shortly, and if it shall be practicable,
to make the division so as to let him bring the papyri for Michigan
and Columbia with him to the United States that will be a convenience,
and we can then settle for our share with Nahman very soon after October
1.
I enclose a letter from Nahman which has just come in and shall be obliged
if you will be good enough to return it when you write.
I have given to President Burton, of the University of Michigan, a note of
introduction to you, and hope that you will be in London when he is
there.
Thanking you again for your pains with these matters, I remain,
Faithfully yours,
