Baghdad March 12 Dearest Mother. Thank you so much for your condolences about my poor little dog. I miss him so much.
I don't think there is really any Times correspondent at Mosul [Mawsil, Al] - I expect he is the Baghdad man and I forget now who the latter is. The Commission has reassembled at Mosul and is now going to the northern frontier, after which they go away I'm pleased to say.

The Italian secretary, Roddolo, who is by way of being rather a friend of mine, flew down last week and dined with me en tête à tête on Saturday - after spending the day from 6.30 a.m. till 7.30 p.m. visiting Babylon. I think it was rather devoted of him to come. He gave a very reassuring account of the impressions of the Commission but from what he said I feel pretty sure that while recommending that Mosul Wilayat should remain in 'Iraq, they will add some silly rider about the prolongation of the connection with Great Britain, a thing the League of N. cannot help or hinder. However, I don't think it will matter.

I spent Sunday morning rearranging the Museum in a horrible dust storm which prevented J.M. [Wilson] and me from making a brief archaeological expedition by train that night. It was lucky we decided not to go as the train was held up by floods which breached the line and it never got anywhere.

What with dust storms and rain it has been rather a dull week. We meant to join the King at his farm on Friday for the day, but he has been driven down by rain so that the plan hasn't come off, for the nth time. We are disappointed as it is the last week in which we could have shot partridges.

Did you see in the papers that there was an accident to the overland mail and a woman killed? It is the first time anything of the kind has happened and the desert is thick with aeroplanes and armoured cars to catch the offenders - a difficult job, but at least it will frighten them.

Altogether we had a sad weekend, what with that news and the death of Ken's second in command, Major Pulley , a good soul and a most loyal second to Ken. He leaves a wife and 3 little boys at school, with scarcely anything to live on. I'm very very sorry for her; they were wrapt [sic] up in one another and made for each other a comfortable little narrow existence in which they lived with perfect content. And now there she is alone and struggling to maintain any existence at all, poor thing. It seems such a pointless, needless misfortune. He will be a great loss to Ken too.

Esme leaves next week to my great regret - she does make such a difference. We all love her. Sir Henry and she and I went for a little walk yesterday along the river bank where it was not too muddy, and it was so nice. Yes, I think the combined Dobbses are better than the combined Coxes - Lady Cox was such a drawback. It's a great pity that Esme won't be here to entertain the Secretaries of State. Ever, dearest, your very affectionate daughter Gertrude