_September 24_: Ive known for years that F is insane, but her latest phase is so fantastic and preposterous I can hardly credit it. She demands flatly the _Sisyphus_ take along at least fifty "nubile females in order to restock the world after its reconquest." After catching my breath I argued with her. The prospect of England's loss was by no means certain yet. "Good. We'll give the girls a seavoyage and land them back safe and sound." "We have enough supplies for six months; if we take along these superfluous passengers our time will be cut to less than three." Her answer was a brutal piece of blackmail. "No women, no go." If F were a young man instead of an elderly woman I could understand this aberration better. _September 25_: It seems Mrs H's grandchildren are all girls between twelve and eighteen, which leaves the problem of fulfilling F's ultimatum to finding fortyseven others. I have delegated the selection to Mrs H. _September 26_: Grass on Skye for the second time. This invasion was not repulsed. _September 27_: The cyclone fans have been set up from Moray Firth to the Firth of Lorne. I am in two minds about asking the Tharios to join us. The bill authorizing the construction of a vertical city at Stonehenge passed Commons. _September 28_: Grass reported near Aberdeen. Panic in Scotland. No more train service. _September 29_: Day of fasting, humiliation and prayer proclaimed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Grass south of the Dee. All mines shut down. _September 30_: Every seaworthy vessel, and many not seaworthy, now under charter. I have ordered all remaining stores of concentrates loaded on our own hulls, to be manned by skeleton crews. They will stand by the _Sisyphus_ on her voyage. Lack of railway transportation making things difficult. _October 1_: They have actually broken ground at Stonehenge for Burlet's fantastic city. _October 2_: Wrote on my book for nearly twelve solid hours. The postal service has been stopped. _October 3_: Hearing the royal family had made no plans for departure, the London office ventured to offer them accommodations on one of our ships. I had always heard the House of Windsor was meticulous in its politeness, but I cannot characterize their rejection of our wellmeant aid as anything but rude. _October 4_: Mrs H asks, Are we to live solely on concentrates now the shops are shut? My query as to whether this seemed objectionable to her was evaded. _October 5_: Grass in Inverness and Perthshire. _October 6_: F announces she is ready for another test. Under present conditions, the journey to Scotland being out of the question, we decided to use the _Sisyphus_ again and the French coast. Leaving tomorrow.