Wednesday

Dear Linus and Anita:

All sorts of exciting things are happening. Mom and Pop have bought a cattleranch sort of on highway one-some 20 miles north of San Simeon. 160 acres of land, circa two-thirds of a mile of beach, two horses, a little shack and a barn. The country is really gorgeous, rugged, wild, lots of deer, birds, seals, sea otters, flowers, etc. Just the sort of place that Mama loves. The little shack is a two-room affair, with a wood stove, and some running water (cold). There is butane, but no electricity, no hot water. The beach is all lovely rocks, I fear unsuitable for swimming. The beach is down a cliff below the land, at its lowest point is twenty feet high.

Lucy and I drove up in the Porsche a couple of days ago to take Peter's letter up to Mom and Pop, a sort of dull drive, except for highway one itself.

I gave Lucy a ring a couple of days ago-a blue-grey sapphire in a rather modern white gold mount. I am not sure that Mom and Pop really approve, but they seemed pleased, so I guess everything is alright.

I'll send some photographs of the place on highway one, of Lucy, and ring, etc. sometime.

A few months ago my Stephen's speaker crapped out; they finally got around to fixing it. I hope it works alright new, the guarantee is almost shot.

Love

Crellin

PS over

No doubt you've heard from Pete, but for the record, Peter Andrew Thomas; born 22 Aug. 9 lbs, 6¼ ounces, 22 inches, 97º, Rhesus positive.

29 August 1956

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your letters of the 24^th and 25^th and for the cheques. I shall keep them uncashed for the present. Perhaps I should eucash the $800 as the bank may wish to collect it and our departure may be delayed.

Jack Dunitz and I have a plan and we are working on it. It will involve being a research student in inorganic chemistry under the supervision of Professor R.S. Nyholm of University college doing structured work of all sorts on transition metal complexes. He has a man working on Rhenium and now has a little [tech...?]. It would require doing other experiments than pure difraction work, for instance measuring the paramagnetic susceptibility, but we would have a major emphasis on x-ray work, to be done we hope with Jack Dunitz in the Royal Institution. There are a number of snags though Hack, Nyholm and I are in favour of the place. Ingold is chairman of the department and I do not know his attitude. The there is University College and the university of London. Finally, for the plan to work there is Bragg; he will not be the most serious snag.

I do not know what Katie Lonsdale would say. I have not yet seen Bernal; perhaps I can go on Friday. I think the Nyholm plan is better. I wish at this point to do some honest to god structure work, and preferably on the most interesting metals. There is a program on [?] compounds which react with O₂, but a convenient crystal compound is not at hand, and in the year it is being prepared, I wish to get the experimental work completer.

I have been in Cambridge, taking the third projection of HgIy^d myoglobin, and now can check completely the method. If all goes well, I shall quit myoglobin there.

I have purchased you amplifier and shall send it in Linda's trunk. I have her completely packed except for the books. I got a wholesale price for the amplifier through a friend. I have tried it; it should do quite well. It is a RCA Great Britain Limited product.

Julia registered the squirt. His name is Peter Andrew Thomas, to be called Thomas though in England Andrew is the favourite. The Peter is arch vanity on my part, having been overcome with his beauty upon first sighting him. They are both well. Julia should be home on Friday. I am having great difficulty getting him circumcised. They bloody well will not do it.

I am pleased you are buying this ranch. It sounds lovely. Does it make any money or is it just beautiful?

You will note his initials are P.A.T. Pauling, Eng. And I suppose he will be called Pat.

I do not know how long the delay in discovering whether I can get in will be. It probably will be a mater of guessing probabilities until October, which is rather sad.

Photographers are being prepared.

I am afraid Julia will be rather disappointed if we do not come to California, though she will wait.

The Speakman book is being published this month, and I shall send it off. I sent the PEP book at least a month ago. I shall send another air mail if you wish.

Much love,

(XXXOOO)¹⁰ Peter