March 20th Wednesday.

Gelat came and talked for two hours: stories about how he's managed to sell the rest of the Molí property, on behalf of the proprietario1, for the sum he reckoned. Now all is sold but one piece which he is buying himself for Pts 6000, knowing well that he can sell it at a profit to Juan de Margarita2 who bought the Molí and wouldn't buy this at the time: the land encircles the Molí and Juan will have to buy it eventually. Took Salamo3 for a walk, starting with Gelat who has put some men on the Canellun road to surface it, and then going to the stepping stones 4. I had to carry S. [Salamo] over them because he was afraid, but then he crossed himself. I picked wild-asparagus there for our lunch. Isabel's mother & Josepha came to call. Wrote out my Focus contribution. Bought a sheepshead for Salamo. First kippers for supper for three years.
Weather suddenly very warm. Wrote to Miss Middleditch to ask what A.B. [Arthur Barker]Ltd are doing about recovering the money due from Germany: & to Wise for a copy of DeServiez. 5

Editorial Notes

1owner KG
2? Mayol. WG
3RG's bull-dog. eds
4across the torrent KG
5 The Roman empresses: or, the history of the lives and secret intrigues of the wives of the twelve Caesars; Written originally in French. By Monsieur de Serviez. And translated by the Hon. Bysse Molesworth. Author: Serviez, Jaques Roergas de, 1755-1804.; Molesworth, Bysse. Publication: Dublin : Printed by George Faulkner,1752 eds.

Hands Referenced

Places Mentioned

  • Canellun

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Laura Riding and Robert Graves' house. Also Canellun (private) road. WG, KG

  • Molí, Es

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Large estate which Gelat divided up and sold for the owner. The farm-house was bought by Juan Mayol. RG & LR bought the Posada, Es Piñets and part of Ca'n Madó. WG

  • Torrent

    Deyá, Mallorca, Spain
    river that cuts through the valley below Graves' house, Canelluñ eds.

People Mentioned

  • Gelat

    Más, Juan Marroig
    Juan Marroig Mas, called Gelat: Landowner on Deyá and friend of Robert Graves and Laura Riding (L.R. & R.G.'s factotum. W.G.)

  • Miss Middleditch

    Middleditch, Miss
    Editor with Arthur Barker Ltd. WG

  • Isabella

    Isabel
    Live-in maid from Murcia. Her mother (Carmen) then came over with Josefa who also came to work later. WG

  • Josepha

    Josefa
    Maid from mainland. In the text R.G. spells it the English way: Josepha. W.G. She is a daughter of the Murcians Antonio and Carmen; sister of Isabel. eds.

  • Juan of Molí

    Mayol, Juan
    Owner of the Es Molí farmhouse. Involved in a local water rights controversy with the Señor of Sa Pedrissa, the Médico and others. R.G. records the on-going confict in his diary over a span of several months in 1935. KG & eds.

  • T. J. Wise

    Wise, T.J.
    Infamous forger and bookseller. C.P.

Organizations Mentioned

  • Arthur Barker Ltd.

    Barker, Arthur
    The English publisher of I, Claudius and Claudius the God. WG

Bibliography

    • Title: Focus I, II, III, IV [newsletter]
    • Editor: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá
    • Publisher: Seizin
    • Date: 1935