190
Si M. Ommanney
The plague state of Hongkong requires a drastic remedy. The Govr & Command thought that a Sanitary Engineer was required;
all the authorities at home declared that plague has nothing to do with drainage and that the services of a plague expert were required - who was then at the Cape. We engaged Simpson for W.O. a Colony in plague enquiry. We made a bargain with the colony that they might have their Sanitary Engineer, but on condition that they would also pay for Simpson's services as plague Expert.
The terms offered were that Simpson would go to Hongkong for the same fee he had offered to go to Mauritius, £250 p.m. and travelling Expenses. But we had to arrange the terms with him by telegrams - and I feared that £350 p.m. was too high a rate to offer to Hongkong for less than a month and all Expenses.
Though we were sanguine that Simpson would not go to Hongkong for less than £350 p.m., I was sure that this was too high. The matter therefore dropped pro tem.
Dr. Simpson has just returned home and, on Manson's advice, came to see me this morning. He explained that he did not insist on the £350 p.m. (when asked he had mentioned this to avoid a misunderstanding done to his not having received our telegrams in time).
He pointed out that he had arrived at this figure by averaging his W.O. pay and Cape pay - as pencilled above in the margin. He is now anxious to go to Hongkong on the terms which we and the Hongkong Govr originally contemplated, £250 p.m. and travelling Expenses.
He would start at the end of this month and be back by May. I have no doubt that the Hongkong Govr would accept the offer - so I am informing them by letter and telegraphing to Hongkong.
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Supd.
Emil
4/XI
We love
Here thech, in fact, terms are a matter of quite secondary importance.
4/10 Jague 07 4/1 at once