What a relief that we're finally on the same track! I have worked with Dr. Ann McDougall on the African side of the question but, Dr. McDougall admits to not being as familiar with the West Indian side of the story. Nor is there an Atlantic specialist at the U of A; Dr. Phillip Lawson, who came closest to fitting the bill, unfortunately passed away late last year. I've also worked very closely with Dr. David Johnson on Latin American history. He, however, recognizes his extreme limitations in West Indian history and he is also having some difficulty in trying to unravel the similar issues surrounding alcohol in primary sources he recently uncovered in Columbia. These past years, I've worked under the direct supervision of Dr. John E. Foster, one of the leading specialists in Western Canadian Fur Trade and Native history, who was the first to confirm the centrality of what I'm trying to do. Unfortunately, Dr. Foster passed away last week. Despite these setbacks and limitations, I intend to persist if only to celebrate his daring, his desire to pursue that which he knew little about, to explore learning from a non-traditional path and, hopefully, to blaze a new trail. Over and out!