1946

As we all have noted by reading our class newsletters these days, Bob Heussler is a superb writer. The other day, Bob Searles '42 sent me a London Times Literary Supplement book review of one of Heussler's newest scholarly works British Rule in M.alaya, about the Malayan Civil Service and its predecessors from 1867 to 1942. The review says, "This scholarly and well-documented book has been assembled with a sense of perspective and with a sensitive understanding of the point of view of the period and even of British ideas about class. Robert Heussler is indeed steeped in his subject and has already written about northern Nigeria and Tanganyika, as well as the makings of the Colonial Service. Admirably free of academic jargon and over-conceptualization . . . there are pages where excessive details makes for heavy reading." Well, I'd guess that is a condition that is by definition a finding of every good scholarh work. And this is high praise from a paper whose reviewers are not always kind to American authors. Baker Library has copies of six other books by Bob, who, having published 11 books altogether, may be the most prodigious writer of our class.

Speaking of Baker Library, my recent teaching activities in cartography at Dartmouth have led me to the discovery of Dartmouth's superior collection of rare maps and atlases, which in" elude some of the most important reference works of the 16th and 17th centuries and 2 profusion of later materials. Starting with earl) 16th-century Ptolemaic atlases, the collection includes the works of Ortelius, Mercator, Hodius, and Blaeu — the greatest names in map making. It also includes a very rare, hand-iHu minated manuscript chart of the Mediterranean mounted on hinged wooden panels and made in 1656 by Nicholas Comberford in Englan These are called "portolanos" — ocean navigation charts showing all significant ports and coastal landfalls. Comberford made only seven of these charts of the Mediterranean, and from mv readings about them, Dartmouth's chart is the best of the bunch. Of special interest is the signature of its original owner, Captain John Smith (as in Pocahontas), which appears on the cover. John Smith also was a famous sailor and map-maker, and his incursions into Virginia and New England (before the Pilgrims landed) were but a part of his extensive voyages, which covered much of the Mediterranean.

Pastor Leo Lellelid has just returned to Pomeroy, lowa, after world travels of his own. For the past 30 years he has been a missionary to Madagascar. "We are now missionaries in residence among you, living in lowa. Welcome." Leo would appreciate hearing from other classmates nearby.

This Easter weekend has been a sad one for Hanover residents, who were shocked by the death of Jim Campion, age 52, as he and his family were returning from a ski vacation in Vail. Jim was extremely active in Hanover for years and had chaired the Hanover board of selectmen for an extended period. Jim's tireless efforts on behalf of the town and its residents were important, and we will miss him.

One fear shared by most class secretaries is that the monthly MAGAZINE deadline arrives even more relentlessly when there is precious little news. This column is going to bed ten days late because that reality has hit your class secretary this month. There can be no column if there is no news. Your classmates want to hear about your activities, your families, and contacts you may have had with others in our class. Notes need not deal only with promotions, great achievements, or death. And we really need to hear in particular about those whose names have appeared in the column infrequently. Please keep in touch. Best regards.

Hayes Hill Etna, N.H. 03750