Posted by Ed Kiser on January 29, 2012 at 15:07:34 user Kisered.
In SWALLOWDALE we have these references to 1931:
---------- SDCH7.TXT
[in a footnote about the book CF just wrote]
* MIXED MOSS. By a Rolling Stone. Pub. 1930, 8th edition 1931
---------- SDCH27.TXT
[at the rock cairn on the mountain top...]
"Aug. 11. 1931.
In SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS we have this reference to 1929:
---------- G:\RANSOME\ALL\SACH10.TXT
at this place of Wild Cat Island in the month of August 1929."
The PROBLEM comes from those several references made in SD
to various events done in SA as being done LAST YEAR.
From this we can conclude that either the 1929 date for SA
or the 1931 date for SD is incorrect.
Let us assume for a moment that the SA date is wrong, that
SA took place in 1930, and NEXT YEAR in 1931 was SD, the next
summer was PP in 1932, and PM was in the next year, 1933.
In PICTS AND MARTYRS we have these references to AUGUST:
---------- PMCH1.TXT
the hot August sunshine. They were talking of the boat which
---------- PMCH16.TXT
It was very different on this warm August afternoon, with the
---------- PMCH19.TXT
were chattering, though it was a warm August night.
---------- PMCH23.TXT
rain and visitors coming together in August, but it was no good.
This reference to the THIRTEENTH of the month is in PICTS AND
MARTYRS in the letter from the GA. The specific month is not
identified, but the above references indicate "August."
---------- PMCH3.TXT
devices. You tell me your mother returns on the thirteenth. On that
day I am expecting a friend whose visit I cannot defer. I have, how-
ever, cancelled all my engagements until that date, and am coming
to Beckfoot tomorrow to take charge of the house till the eve of your
mother's return, when I shall have to leave you to prepare for my
visitor at Harrogate. I shall be glad if you will ask Cook to air the
Working backwards from the THIRTEENTH, we can determine the day
of the various events of PICTS AND MARTYRS.
Day of the month.....Day of the visit
SAT.....13....................GA is with the friend at Harrogate
FRI.....12.................11 Ga leaves to go to the train
THURS...11.................10 free for the day, to High Topps
WED.....10.................9 back to houseboat, more stinks
TUES....9..................8 to houseboat with loot, do stinks
MON.....8..................7 burglary
SUN.....7..................6 rain, cooked rabbit, Nancy soaked
SAT.....6..................5 Got Scarab
FRI.....5..................4 Jacky shows, NO GO, guddling
THURS...4..................3 Postman & Timothy scare, make harbour
WED.....3..................2 They move to DOGS' HOME
TUES....2..................1 D's arrive, spend night in Beckfoot
(assuming 1932 for days of the week)
(if assuming 1933, then the day of the week would be the NEXT DAY)
The key date here is the date they picked up SCARAB, which counting
backwards from the 13, documented in the GA note, falls on AUG 6.
Our assumption has suggested 1933 for PM. But this is a problem.
Aug 6 is when they "Got SCARAB". That date in 1933 is a SUNDAY
when it is not likely that the boat builder would be in business
to deliver a boat. However if we change our assumption to 1932
for PM, then Aug 6 would appear on SATURDAY, as shown on the
above schedule of events.
So we have to back up a bit on our previous assumption to put PM
in 1932. That makes PP in 1931, and SD in 1930, and SA can
stay the same at 1929.
Therefor we must conclude that the SD references are one year off.
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What is truly amazing about all this is the fuss and bother about
these dates that has come up from time to time in the TarBoard,
since we are dealing here with works of FICTION. This is not
a set of HISTORICAL documents; they do not document REAL EVENTS
that actually happened on such-n-such a day. It is all made up
as imaginary events, yet we seem to imply a need for "historical
accuracy" in the recording of these dates. Do we really expect
that RANSOME checked his calender for that bygone year to see
if maybe the D's were to pick up SCARAB on a SUNDAY? Such detail
is not all that necessary for FICTION, yet we seem to think that
this kind of detail should have been correctly determined by
the author to be able to say the event could have happpened on
that particular day.
When you come right down to it, maybe the boatbuilders were indeed
there at the shop on that Sunday afternoon. Sometimes people do
have to work on weekends to meet their obligations and promised
deliveries.
So with that admission, let us continue to say that SA and SD have
a disagreement about the year, and, that it does not matter whether
the error is in SA or in SD as to what years these things happened,
because, they really did not happen, ever, in any year, other than
the author's imagination.
But it sure gives us something to talk about.
Ed Kiser, Kentucky