OCEAN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

December 27 , Friday: Up early for last minute work-assignments. Security picked Jim Guest and me up at 09:00, and we had a good flight to Capetown, sitting next to Rita Shipley. We took her along in the taxi and had a nice lunch with wine before using the free afternoon and R 200 which Dave Smith allowed us to go shopping. I bought some "ordered" items for Denise, and a R 150 Philips tape-recorder for myself. Dropped Rita off in her shoreside rinky-dinky hotel, then went to office to watch an interesting movie about the "Benoto", with Mr. Ferguson. This is a giant machine which can "walk" and drill foundation holes. The idea was to order one for CDM to use on the beach project near the Orange River, where the depth to bedrock was too great for our caisson. Cost no object, probably in the hundred of thousands, as opposed to the "peanuts" in Bascom's proposal. Next, dinner and discussions with Dave, who thinks that I will be relieved by Erik Stephansen in mid-January at which time I will be transferred to Capetown.

December 28, Sat.: Up at 05:00, several coffees. Took taxi with Japanese fellow to airport for long trip back toOranjemund, where we arrived at noon. Briefly saw Messrs Devlin,Borchers and Shand before lunch, and Bill Fry after: he had had poor results. Read TIME, and to mannequin show that night with Paddy, Nigel and fieldglasses: Denise looked adorable. Took her home to fit my purchases.Lovely.

December 29, Sunday: Early swim with Denise, no squash. After lunch, she went sailing with another beau, and I visited the Wrights, borrowed tapes and transferred them back home with my new Philips and Denise's help.

December 30, Monday: High tide hampered work. Went to Head Office at 16:00 to show Benoto film to management: especially Borchers was very excited and eager to order one: they'd be able to use it for many other purposes after the beachproject ("Hi-Lo") . . .

Then 4 games of squash with Denise, lost two. Next, a swim and a bioskoop show. Wrote letter to Bascom about the Benoto and CDM's reactions, and about using sonoprobe in flooded trench.

December 31,Tuesday: Another disaster: high tides had caused broken pipes and drum. Cat crane ready in Uubvlei. Dinner with Shipleys. At 20:00 I picked up substitute Thelma for New Year's Eve Parties: first at Johnsons, then at Walkers: (21:00- Gentlemen can now go on the grass!).Espied Denise in Hawaiian hoolah skirt, was second man to kiss her at midnight,and #x to dance with her in 1964. Parties and dancing and drinking went on to 27:30 and included visit to hospital to cheer up patients. I felt sad.