Dear Roland, Thank you so much for your very generous comments on my piece about my very first book - which leave me truly humbled. One of the reasons I decided to get Sir Richard Turnbull to contribute the Foreword was more because he was not only the first Governor-General of independent Tanganyika, a former British High Commissioner in Aden - but also my principal boss when I was serving in Kenya's Northern Frontier Province. He, of all senior colonial officials would be best placed to have known me especially since, during my time in Marsabit, I often used to help draft reports(including during the Mau Emergency) since writing reports or Minutes of meetings was not my immediate boss's forte! Am so glad I refused to accept his original "wet blanket" attitude and went along to realise my dream - albeit, a modest dream! One again - many thanks and best wishes.
Mervyn On Wed, 8 Sept 2021 at 17:31, Roland Francis <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Mervyn, first of all let me say you are a credit by far and by all > measures to the Goan community. You have, through your books, given us a > very good glimpse of the times in which you were at the top of your game. I > have not met you in person but I know if I did, it would not be anything > but an honour for me. > > Men and women like you don’t come in one’s life frequently. They came more > often in the past than they do now. But whenever they do come, they are > like stars that brighten up a dreary sky or even a well moonlit evening. > > I have carefully followed your jottings on your interaction with Richard > Turnbull and I am glad you persisted through all his mostly sharp and > unkind comments. > > One’s first reaction would be to curse his ways, to label him a racist, > albeit with a semblance of kindness that sometimes peeks through. Here was > an officious white man, invested with the power of Office and mentally > conditioned to put a person of any other colour ‘in his place’. > > But I can see through all that and what I see is someone of privilege made > a prisoner of his office, his class and his prejudices. Strip him of all > that and what appears is a person who took the time to, in his own > convoluted way, encourage you. > > In my long period in the Persian Gulf, I came across a few such > Englishmen, so I know what I am talking about. In those days although they > recognized my skills and unhesitatingly promoted me several times in my > job, I gnashed my teeth as much at them as with their system, that stank of > discrimination. > > So lesson well taken: Bash on, regardless - as a Goan General once told > his Indian Army troops surrounded by Pakistani armour - and let your > determination and talent shine no matter the criticism, as you so ably > demonstrated. > > Roland. > Toronto. > > > > On Sep 8, 2021, at 6:15 AM, Mervyn Maciel < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > Recuperating from my recent setback, and wanting to fill the vacant > moments, > > I am going through some of my 'saved papers' and among them found a > > Note I'd made over 30 years ago in relation to my first book. > > I hope this is not going to bore readers but I just want to share this > in > > an > > effort to encourage anyone who has a story to tell -not to be > discouraged > > by remarks or comments others make. Here's where the story begins: > > > > I first wrote to Sir Richard Turnbull about my "dream" of publishing my > > memoirs on 4th December 1978 - a day after I'd met him and Lady Turnbull > > at Westminster Cathedral in London where they were the Guests of Honour > > of the Goan community at our annual celebration of the feast of our > patron > > saint, St. Francis Xavier. In my letter, I'd asked if he would be wiling > to > > contribute the Foreword. > > While expressing his willingness to do so in a hand-written letter from > > his Henley-on-Thames home on 6th December, a comment(reproduced > > below) he included rather discouraged me, and led to the whole idea being > > shelved for some five years. Here is his comment: > > "*don't forget that writing is demandingly hard work and that* > > * it takes up a lot of time. As the great Doctor Johnson said -* > > *"You have to set yourself doggedly to it.".* > > > > Despite this initial setback, the urge to write would not go away, and > > five years later, in October 1983, having typed some seventy five pages > > in draft form, I again wrote and asked if he would be prepared to look > > through the rough draft. Once again, his hand-written reply on 22nd > > October, this > > time from Jedburgh, said: > > *"I shall be happy to look at your draft, and have no doubt that you* > > * have made a great success of it. It is a fascinating story that you > have* > > *to tell, and it will bring back to me any number of half-forgotten > faces* > > *and scenes".* > > The draft was accordingly despatched on 24th November 1983, and in his > > type-written reply of 2nd January 1984, this is what he had to say:: > > *" I hope that you will not find what I am about to say in this letter is > > too* > > *ferocious. If you do, please remember that I have read the transcript > as* > > *the preliminary sketch of a book that you hope to have published. Had* > > *it been just a draft with comments that you hoped to have cyclostyled* > > *with the idea of sending copies to your friends, I should have been > very* > > *much more gentle in my approach."* > > Here are some comments from that letter: > > *"Presentation of fatted sheep" by various headmen -pages 47,55.57 &72.* > > *You may have to tone these incidents down a bit if yoou re aiming at a* > > *wide publication for, as I expect you know, any stick is good enough to* > > *beat the Colonialist regime with; and there is a danger of your being * > > *accused of using your official position to 'extort' these gifts."* > > On my proposal to donate part of my royalties to help Marsabit > > tribesmen, this is what he said in his letter of 12th January 1984. > > *"My advice is first to get your royalties, then reimburse yourself* > > *from them for what you have spent; then find out how much the * > > *Income Tax people will be taking off you; after that you will be able* > > *to consider what can realistically be done with any cash that remains."* > > > > In a further letter dated 27th October 1984 he wrote: > > *" I have finished working through the typescript of the draft you sent > me* > > *of Bwana Karani, and I am sorry to have to tell you that I have formed* > > *the opinion that a great deal of revision will be necessary before it > can > > be* > > *regarded as suitable for submission to a publisher.* > > This 3-page typed letter lists various points, among them: the following: > > *Americanisms p.16. I know that this is a personal idiosyncrasy of mine,* > > *but I regard Americanisms such as the expressions "there sure is" as* > > *a barbarism. A more graceful way of putting it would be,'there is > surely'.* > > *p.17. you should replace "I guess" with "I imagine"* > > *pgs.27, 28: You should be aware of being too critical of your > colleagues* > > *lest you hurt their feelings unnecessarily(* this is regarding some of > the > > comments I made on some of my Goan colleagues, which personally, I didn't > > think offensive.!) He concludes the same letter with these words: > > *"With apologies for what I know must be a disappointing letter. I fear* > > *the outcome of all this is going to be a good deal of more work for > you;* > > *but the author's lot has never been anything but an arduous one."* > > In a further letter of 11th November 1984, he writes: > > *"Thank you for your letter of 3rd November and my congratultions of* > > *your generous acceptance of what must hve seemed somewhat * > > *pennickety criticisms. We now seem to be entering the lastlap of of* > > *of this interesting but arduous course".* > > In a further hand-written letter dated 23rd March 1985, following Lady > > Turnbull's illness he wrote: *"For our part, we hve had one of the most* > > *worrying couple of moinths I can remember. My wife has been quite * > > *seriously ill and in and out of hospital with some obscure cimplaint* > > *that required fairly prolonged treatment etc. I have been devoting* > > *myself to household management and invlid cookery".* > > Several letters followed, and again in hand-written letter dated 25th > Jubne > > 1985, he commented, inter alia, on my use of the words "gunned down".Here > > is what he had to say:* I don't much care for the expression 'gunned > down'* > > *in relation to David Dabasso Wabera. It is not in accordance with your > > usual dignified style. Would "assassinated"not be more suitable?"* > > More letters followed and ss we were nearing the end of this work, he > had > > this to say in his hand-written letter of 2nd July 1985 after he'd sent > me > > the draft Foreword. *" pg 5. I note that the passage on this page is a* > > *repetition on the last para on page 4, so remembering how sternly* > > *I criticised you for repeating yourself, I have cut out the page 5 bit,* > > but then adds: *I shall feel quite lost without Bwana Karani, and* > > *speculation about the Foreword to occupy my spare time"* > > And finally, in his hand-written letter of 25th October 1985, this is > > what he wrote > > "*Congratulations on the finished product. I had the pleasure of* > > *seeing in fine print the pages over which you hve been working* > > *with such patience and determination for the past three or four* > > *years. Merlin Books have made a really workmanlike job of the* > > *book - good clear print, well set out with all the skill of the* > > *experienced craftsman; the photographs neatly reproduced and* > > *the whole, a volume which you and the publishers can be* > > *justifiably proud of. And how happy and relieved you must be* > > *to realize that the long task is over. All the ssmr, its completion* > > *will leave a gap in your life which will need a great deal of filling.* > > *My apologies at not being able to be ble to get to the launching* > > *party. I so much hope that the Kenya High Commissioner will* > > *rise to the occasion. The Goan Association will, I am sure, come* > > *to your aid and do you proud with the music and oratory which so* > > *happily distinguished the Goan community.* > > *Best wishes for a splendid launching."* > > > > My apologies if I have bored you all -but I just wanted to prove that > > once you have an idea, go ahead and pursue it and never be discouraged > > by initial criticisms. > > > > > > Mervyn Maciel >
