9th April 1939 MacDonell to Clay
C/o Secretariat
Lusaka
April 9th, 1939
Dear Clay,
I must just write a line for next mail to thank you very much indeed for everything you did for the Commission. You gave every possible help, and Government ought to be very grateful to you. It was a very difficult, and in many ways a thankless task that you had, and you can feel that you did it very well in every way - thoroughly good work from beginning to end with no letting dow anywhere. You can have this satisfaction that it will be impossible for anyone, Barotse or other, to say that their case was not presented as well and as fully as it possibly could be - again, Government ought to be very grateful to you, and the Barotse also.
Please also let me thank you myself as much as ever I can for all your unflagging and invariably useful help all through.
We got here to time after a comfortable journey during which I had the satisfaction of seeing the last remains of the Chumbwe post.
Jones & I very busy each day, going through the draft, correcting and adding. He, I am glad to say, is giving himself a couple of days holiday up the line, but insists on being back to work on Monday, the good man.
During his absense I am trying to straighten out repetitions and to improve the order of subjects but it will be a little while yet before the thing can be finally typed.
It has all been an experience I would not have missed for worlds - to see N.R. again with such an interesting piece of work to do and such colleagues to work with, and I cannot understand how I came to have such good fortune.
Once again, my very best thanks for all your help and kindness.
Please remember me very kindly to Mrs. Clay when you write.
Yours sincerely
Sir Phillip James Macdonell
10 January 1873 – 15 December 1940
"Times" war correspondent, S. African War, 1900-01
Judge of the High Court, N. Rhodesia, 1918-27
Knighted 1925
President, West India Court of Appeal, 1927-30
Chief Justice, Ceylon, 1930-36
Retired 1936.
