Baghdad May 5. Darling Father. Everything else is swallowed up in the thought of what is happening to you. It is impossible to imagine what it is like, but the scanty news in Reuter gives one some impression of the terrible upheaval. There's not a gleam of hope yet and indeed today the news of attempts to hold up all traffic is very ominous. I wonder whether you are in London or Yorkshire. Mother's letter of Ap. 20 says you were arriving the following day at Mt Grace. But that was more than a week before the storm broke. One peers into the future much as one did at the beginning of August, 1914 - absit omen!
Well I can't do anything so I will just tell you my news as usual. Sir Henry arrived at 5 p.m. on Ap. 30. Ken, Bernard and I went to meet him. There was not a great gathering on the aerodrome for the King and most of the bigwigs, native and English, were away at Basrah [Basrah, Al (Basra)] opening the newly dredged Shatt al 'Arab channel. I had slipped out of that with the excuse that I could not leave just as my High Commissioner was returning. He looks very well and is vigourous in his mind and has set himself to work cheerfully. I lunched with him on Saturday and had some desultory talk. I am very glad he is back - would that he had brought Esme with him!

On Saturday night I had a bridge party - Ken, Iltyd and Major Eadie - to while away the time before my train left which wasn't till 11.30. Ken took me to the station about 11 where I found my carriage ready and my bed made by Zaya. It was rather a hot journey down to Ur, just hot enough to do nothing but laze and read a novel, but I restored the balance by unusual activity on arrival. There was a lot of pottery belonging to us which Mr Woolley had left at the Expeditionshaus. I had brought 4 cases to pack it in and my Museum clerk, Salim, to help. The capable station master provided us with men to carry the cases out across the desert and soon after 6 o'clock we were busy packing up by the light of a lantern and with the willing assistance of the Arab guards. It took us about 2 hours, after which we walked back in the night over the deliciously cool desert. I had a cold bath in the station rest house, dined about 9 and went to bed.

The King arrived from Basrah about 5.30 a.m. on Monday. We were all ready to receive him, the Mutasarrif, Administrative Inspector, shaikhs, I, etc. When he had finished with salutations we decided to go off at once to the excavations and come back to breakfast after. H.M. and I stepped into the Mutasarrif's car and the others followed in taxis, 3 Ministers and a varied lot of officials who were with H.M. It was a most successful visit; the King was much interested - we got through before 8, when the sun was just beginning to be a little hot, having seen all that kings need see. Then breakfast in the King's car with a couple of Ministers and nice Mr Bury (Irrigation.) Subsequently I returned to my own compartment. It was a special train and we stopped nowhere but at Diwaniyah [Diwaniyah, Ad] where we moved into a restaurant car for lunch (I lunched with a Minister and two Saiyids, one a Senator, one a deputy) and again at Hillah [Hillah, Al] where the King sent for me to have tea with him. It was now cool again and HM and I, a Minister and a courtier played bridge till we reached Baghdad at 6.45 p.m. on April 3. There I learnt that the strike had begun - Ken came in before dinner with the news. Since when we have all talked of little else.

Sir Henry, with whom I hadn't yet had any real talk, came to tea yesterday and we motored down together to see Haji Naji. He had many nice things to say of you and Mother - Sir Henry had, I mean. Haji Naji always asks after you. We are at a very interesting point in the Angora [Ankara (Ancyra)] negotiations, but we wonder whether the Turks won't put out their horns again if they think that the strike has knocked us out of time. Telegrams continue to come from the Colonial Office - we suppose that Sir John Shuckburgh is transported thither in a government lorry.

We suppose and we wonder and we wish we knew more.

Incidentally I don't know whether letters will reach you or how long they will be delayed, so I shall not write any other than this - the post office can't want to have more than the minimum of correspondence to deal with.

My dear love to Mother and I'm your very affectionate and anxious daughter Gertrude.

I have your delightful letter ending on Ap 21. I'm glad you found the Vapore.