Moody to Irving (Junior Clerk)

Will you kindly take an opportunity of mentioning to Lord Carnarvon that on my return to this office I find that under any
circumstances the balance of the ammunition and 3 or 4 boxes of
Books for the men (the whole a trifle of tonnage say 5 or 6 tons
quite at the outside) must go with the men in the Euphrates. I
have left instructions that if anything beyond the Provisions would
have to be left out of the Briseis
it must be left behind altogether,
and to provide for such a contingency I have ordered
that the 2 Pontoons (small) with their apparatus shall be
selected for that purpose.

I hope sincerely that the twelvemonths provisions may not have
to be left behind. Experience has taught me the grave importance
of having Provisions in advance well secured—we ought to keep a
twelvemonth ahead. Security of food is of the first importance
in all enterprises.