Sun. Jan. 18. [18 January 1914] We have had a delicious 2 days riding across the rolling Shammar country and I am really beginning to enjoy it all. For I must now tell you that I liked the first part of the way so little that I was almost inclined to turn back. The bitter cold, and the absence of Fattuh and one thing and another combined to make a mountain of evils. I did nothing but think and think and my eyes were always turned backwards. But when two days ago I cut myself loose from civilization I felt as if I had cast down all burdens. And I do nothing now but look onwards, till tomorrow, till next day - no further; but it is far enough. And above all I rejoice in the actual moment as it passes. You must now make acquaintance with the members of the expedition. First, there is old Muhammad al Ma'rawi, Mr Carruthers's companion. In his youth he rode with the rajajil of Muhammad ibn al Rashid; in his wiser years he bought and sold camels from Nejd [Najd]; now he has fallen on lean times and takes whatever odd job may present itself - he has had few odder jobs than me, I expect. He knows all the Arabs of every part. The fathers and grandfathers of all the shaikhs have been among his friends or enemies, and his tales of war and adventure are endless, as we ride by day or sit over the fire at night. Next there is his nephew Salim, my own second man. He waits on me and helps Fattuh - a capital boy. He has travelled much - all these Damascenes go camel buying among the tribes - he is an excellent servant, education and well mannered. Next comes 'Ali, the Agaili post man of 3 years ago. He is an 'ole[?] dog, but I love him. He is as brave as lion and in the hour of danger as cool as [2 lines heavily deleted] you could wish. He will never leave us. He looks upon himself as a sort of hereditary retainer of mine since we travelled together "in the year of snow." My 3 Agaili camel drivers left me two days ago. First they would come, and then they would not come and then again they would never part from me, and finally when the camels were walking out of the gates of my friends the Christians of Yadudeh [Yaduda, El], they threw down their camel sticks and declared they would return to Damascus [Dimashq (Esh Shams, Damas)]. It was better so; I don't want unwilling men, and they really feared the road. Fortunately we had got another man from Damascus while we were at 'Amman ['Amman (Rabbah)], another nephew of Muhammad's, and he is a treasure; Sa'id, head camel driver. We picked up an Agaili at 'Amman, meskin, but he will learn; and my hosts at Yadudeh gave me a third, Mustafa. He is a fellah from a village near Jerusalem [(El Quds esh Sherif, Yerushalayim)], who had been working on the farm at Yadudeh; suddenly he found himself pressed into my service by his energetic employers, and off he went to Heaven knows where. He doesn't seem to mind and he does his work like a man. And then there is a negro who has been with me from the beginning, Fellah. We engaged him as camel herd but he has now been promoted to work in the men's tent and he has the good word of everyone - and deserves it. And finally there is Fattuh, the 'alpha and omega of all, with his eye on everything although it never appears to be taken off me. At present we have two rafiqs, a Sherari of whom I have seen little, and a Skhari, Sayyah who is the most delightful of travelling companions. They have a wonderful clear speech, these men of the Sukhur, and he not only tells me exciting tales as we ride, but he gives me, unsolicited, all kinds of interesting information about the tribes. And last night we had a guest, a young shaikhling of the Sukhur, cousin to Hathmel, to whom we are going. He and his slave joined us on the march and lodged with us last night. He was very anxious to come with us to the end of the world, he and the 'abd, and I am pledged to lodge with him next time I pass this way, to "honour our resting place." A nice boy; he went upon his way this morning. Today we crossed the high ground which parts the waters of the Dead Sea [(Yam Hamelah, Bahret Lut)] from those of the Sirhan [Sirhan, Wadi]. The undulating, flint covered country was scattered over with the naga herds of the Jebbur and the Sukhur - I love to see them. The nagas are just beginning to calve and every herd has a few of the preposterous baby camels, all leg and neck and nothing else. And so we came down to the great Wadi al Ghadaf [Ghadaf, Wadi el] and to the Ummayad palace of Tubah which I have been photographing all the afternoon. The planning had been done by Musil, but there was, as I expected, much to learn, and I have learnt it this afternoon praise be to God. It was hot today, the first hot day and I dined out of doors in a wonderful afterglow of sunset. We are camped actually within the palace (but half the walls have fallen) and tonight we are the guests of kings. And I am as well content as the receiver of such hospitality should be.