Letter Handwritten by Claude Reignier Conder on the Findings of Archeological Excavations in Jerusalem, 1896

Letter Handwritten by Claude Reignier Conder on the Findings of Archeological Excavations in Jerusalem, 1896
Letter handwritten and signed by British explorer Claude Reignier Conder, addressed to Canon Dalton. Weymouth, England, October 1896. English.
An interesting letter concerning the findings of the archeological excavations in the area of the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem.
During the 1880s, the British archeologist Jones Bliss (1859-1937) and Archibald Campbell Dickie carried out archeological excavations in Jerusalem on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Their work focused mostly on identifying and excavating Jerusalem's southern walls. Among other things, they exposed the remains of the Byzantine church at the Pool of Siloam.
In his letter Conder discusses the findings of the excavations of Bliss and Dickie and expresses his professional opinion of Bliss's work. On the second page is a diagram of the Pool of Siloam area, added by Conder to illustrate his words. Among other things he writes: "When I saw the wall to the S W [south-west] of the pool in 1881 I did not think it was a city wall but that of some large building... my suspicion is confirmed by there being no wall to north of A. [marked in Conder's diagram] I fancy at D we may have a city wall with tower… Bliss does not seem to think of this… He ought to beware of thinking every wall he finds a city wall but on the whole I think he is doing well".
Claude Reignier Conder (1848-1910) was a British soldier and explorer. In the 1870s he headed the survey mission of the Palestine Exploration Fund that surveyed Palestine west of the Jordan. The addressee, Canon Dalton, was also a member of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
[1] folded leaf (four written pages), 17.5 cm. Good condition. Stains.
Provenance: Collection of Hermann Meyer and his daughter Channah Sapir.