6 Michael’s Grove
3d January 1871.
My dear Sir,
I am much obliged to you for your kind offer to send me the N’s from your Glossary, which will be very welcome, especially for any incidental cases you mention, which I have often found valuable. I am now in the middle of mat, mati, &c with <cuneiform> all those which may signify “lands” or “people”. I cannot make up my mind about them until I have examined a good many examples – Mr Smith’s Annals of Assurbanipal is printing only, but he sends me the sheets as they come from the printer. It contains the cuneiform text transliteration, and translation, generally very good, and as he has all the slabs about him in his office, he includes many bits not printed in Vol III. As this last will I hope be published before Smith’s work is finished, and before my next volume is out, I have no scruples to mention it as known.
I am, like you, deprived of any thing from the printing-office, not so much because of holidays, but because the printer has had every hand employed in government work preparatory to the opening of parliament. I mean all kinds of statistical and similar information required for the consideration of official personages. I called at the office yesterday, and found that Mabey the cuneiform compositor, had resumed his Assyrian work with the new year, having been engaged with official matters until the end of 1870
Yours faithfully
Edwin Norris
H. Fox Talbot Esq&c &c &c