But for the War, before now in all probability, I should have reported in person to S.P.G. House, London, my tour of five years having ended on the 15th of February last. However, since the War still drags on and since the time for me to send in another Report has once more come round, I must search around for material for this one. The Interim Report which I sent to S.P.G. three months ago did no more than describe the photographs which were enclosed with it. I hope that both Report and photographs arrived safely.

Recently the school received a questionnaire from the Diocesan Office, the purpose of which was to collect material for the Tinnevelly Diocesan Report (English) 1942. It seems to me that I cannot do better than to repeat here the answers which I gave to this questionnaire under the relevant headings:

The Bishop paid his last official visit to the school on 9.3.42 when he confirmed 16 boys.

The Chapel has been re-roofed with Quilon tiles and a Reredos added.

"Grow for Victory.” Every available piece of land has been ploughed and planted with grains. An excellent harvest has been gathered in.

Students join with the Nazareth Evangelistic Band and help with the singing. Teachers assist.

The Headmaster attended the Diocesan Summer School for Teachers in May 1942.

These are regularly held for Teachers. The results in the last Bible Examination were encouraging. Boys have their regular Scripture periods.

In Sept. 1942 eight boys were baptised and ten are being prepared for Confirmation.

8. Increase of Numbers

No Increase in the number of Teachers. School strength is being maintained at 120 boys.

1. Chapel Anniversary Day, 4.11.42. Visitor was the Rev. W. George of the S.P.G.

2. Re-opening of Chapel after re-roofing and renovation, 7.2.43 Visitor was the Rev. P. Lea of the C.M.S.

About 20 old A.I.S. boys have enlisted during the past year. A big recruiting drive was organised in conjunction with the Nazareth Boys' High School and the Recruiting Office in Palamcottah. This took place in October 1942. It has resulted in the A.I.S. Office becoming virtually a branch recruiting office. Aspirants to the Forces from surrounding villages almost invariably come to us first and if likely to be accepted are given a 'chit' to the Recruiting Officer in Palamcottah.

Poultry, pigeons and bees are all doing well. Frequent requests for sittings and young chicks are made by local people.

Most outstanding is the musical. Singing in Chapel is really good and is commented upon by visitors. We use Indian settings and instruments as much as possible.

My neighbour, the Rev. J.R.C. Dawson-Bowling (of the Theological College, Tirumaraiyur), has been appointed acting Correspondent of the A.I.S. while I am away. I should have preferred someone with business or technical experience to act in this capacity, but no one was available, and I have no doubt that Mr. Dawson-Bowling will manage all right.

He took over from me on the 23rd of February and will remain in charge till the 31st May, after which I take over again.

A little function in the school recreation room marked the 'change-over’ at which speeches of welcome were given to Mr. Dawson-Bowling and a valedictory speech to myself. The next day I started my extended local leave.

I think that it is right to say that residence for any length of time in this country finds out ones weaknesses. For two very definite reasons, from the point of view of my health, I wish it were possible for me to get back to England and have things put right.

First there is dental inconvenience - I cannot get a plate that fits. I spent £20 on one six years ago and the equivalent of £16 six months ago. Both are now reposing in their respective little cardboard boxes. The first thing I should do on my return to England would be to visit a first-class dentist.

Dental inconvenience however is no indication of the physical weaknesses which are brought to light by residence in a hot country, deafness is - and this is a more serious thing than any dental inconvenience which a really good dentist can put right. I was hardly aware that I was growing deaf until about eighteen months ago. At my physical examination in 1942 I asked the doctor who examined me to test my hearing, which he did. On my Medical History Sheet he noted "slight deafness.”

I began my extended local leave by a visit to the Swedish Mission Hospital, Tirupattur - about 120 miles north-east of Tinnevelly. The doctor-in-charge is an ear specialist. He gave me a very thorough overhaul and, with the single exception of deafness, found nothing abnormal except that I am 'run-down' and that my deafness is possibly an indication that the muscles need toning up, there being nothing else to account for it. On my Medical History Sheet this doctor noted "marked deafness on both sides.” He prescribed a course of treatment (injections of Prostigmin-Roche, a peristaltic stimulant I believe, also anti-myasthenic tablets, over a period of two months) which he was fairly confident would improve my condition.

If we place first my natural stupidity, next my age (over 40) when I came to South India, then the difficulty which I have all along experienced in finding time for language study, I think, in my deafness, we may find yet another reason why I have been unable to pick up Tamil during the five years I have been in Nazareth. After five years I cannot say the simplest prayer or understand the simplest conversation.

I am actually typing this Report in Nazareth on the 30th March 1943. After I left the Swedish Mission Hospital I spent a few days in Palamcottah at Bishopstowe with the Bishop of Tinnevelly. I had the pleasure of meeting there the Bishop of Travancore and Cochin and the Rev. J.C. Harvey, principal of Peradeniya Training Colony, Ceylon. I acted as guide, showing them local institutions, etc. While at Bishopstowe I received an invitation from the Basel Mission at Hubli, Bombay (not to be confused with Hooghly, near Calcutta), to set out and start a church which I had designed. I accepted this invitation and started off on my journey on the 11th inst.

If one is prepared to overlook the discomforts and inconveniences of railway travel in this country, the dust, the heat, the vast distances, there is much to compensate and to make travelling extremely interesting.

Perhaps the greatest interest In travel in India is the human interest, one's fellow travellers. On this 1200-mile journey, to Hubli and back, I made a note of my fellow travellers. It should be noted that people in this country are always willing to converse while travelling together - a thing which I noticed when I was in America and which struck me as being in such sharp contrast to the average train journey in England.

For the first 100 miles I shared a 2nd Class compartment with a Scotsman, partner of a firm of chartered accountants in Colombo. He had many interesting things to tell me about the air-raid on Colombo last Easter. Following him I entered into conversation with an old Hindu doctor who knew Canon Margochis well. At the same time there was in the compartment another Hindu gentleman of good education, a local tahsildar (a chief of local administration). He was much interested in hearing about my experiments in using Indian architecture and, as we went along, he pointed out features in temples, etc. which we passed.

Travelling from Madras to Bellary I was with a party of N.C.O.s. Having been a non-commissioned officer myself for part of the time in the last War, we were able to compare notes "then and now." One man had been a member of the L.C.C. Fire Brigade during the great fire blitzes on the City and had some amazing stories to tell. Another had been in a Commando raid somewhere in Europe. After Bellary I was with a young Indian R.A.M.C. orderly who had stories to tell from the Assam front.

After Hubli I was with a Hindu gentleman, a member of the meteorological department in Madras, who discussed the geology of the country through which we were passing - from him I learned how to recognise gold-bearing quartz. Shortly after I enjoyed the company of an Indian engineer from the Mettur Dam station, who told me a lot about the Mettur scheme and why Hindu vegetarians refuse to eat meat.

As I approached Trichinopoly on my return journey I had the great pleasure of sharing my compartment with another Hindu doctor. With him I discussed such widely ranging subjects as the value of having ones tonsils removed to Dr. Stanley Jones' book "The Might of the Sacrificial love of Christ.” I'm not quite sure if this title is correct - I quote only from memory at any rate I promised to send him a copy. [Dr. Stanley Jones' book "The Strength of Sacrificial Love, Or, The Cross of Jesus Christ - what Does it Mean?]

My last travelling companions were an Anglo-Indian lady and her two children. I did not know her from Eve, I must, confess, but she bluntly opened our conversation by saying “Oh! You're Mr. Hubbard, aren't you?" I had to admit this and she then went on to say all sorts of highly complementary things about some furniture which the A.I.S. had made for her, two years ago. But how she discovered my identity I fail to know.

As stated at the beginning of this section, I am back again in Nazareth and propose to be here (or at one of the nearby seaside bungalows) to get my injections done. I have no contact whatsoever with the Art Industrial School and have asked Mr. Dawson-Bowling and the Headmaster, Mr. Thanga Raj, to carry on as if I were still at Hubli, 600 miles away. I hope that this Report does not bore you. It will if I do not stop.

Nazareth, Tinnevelly, S. India.

31st March 1943