Hamadan Aug 6 Dearest Father. I've now come to the end of the first stage of my journey. From here I send back the C. in C.'s motor and take to mules and my pony, all of which are waiting for me. I hope this next part will be as nice as the first and I confidently expect it will. I last wrote to you from Tehran [(Teheran)] just before we set out into the mountains. We spent 6 most delicious days the party being Lady Marling and me, the Grand Duke, Gen. Wanchope and a Mr McClean attached to the Legation. The first day we rode over a high barren pass and came down into the beautiful valley of Jurjerud where we found our luxurious camp pitched by the edge of the stream among trees above the village of Uchsan. We got in for a late lunch and spent a delicious lazy afternoon, sleeping and bathing in the river. The enchantment of these villages, set in poplars and fruit trees with the bare hills rising steeply on either side is beyond belief. The wild roses were still out and quantities of other flowers were in bloom. Next day we followed the valley up to its head - and it got lovelier and lovelier - crossed over another high pass and came down to the village of Shahrestemek where we camped 2 nights. The men caught trout in the river and Lady Marling and I wandered about and talked. She is a charming creature. The plan was to go back more or less the same way over some lower passes, but it was more than I could bear to see the high mountains above me - with patches of snow on them too - and not go there, so I asked if I might be sent back over the top. Then Gen. Wanchope decided that he would like to try and get an ibex so the end of it was that he and I left the others to go back their way, and taking 4 mules and a couple of small tents, climbed up into the mountains and camped 2 nights at 12,000 ft. I had by this time got very tired of Gen. W, who is a fussy tiresome little man, but I didn't see very much of him for he went out shooting - without any success and I walked about on the mountain tops in the opposite direction. It had to be the opposite direction you understand, so as not to spoil his shooting. It was deliciously cold and the second night too cold, for it froze hard, a thing I've ceased to be accustomed to; but Lady Marling had given me warm clothes and Sir Charles had lent me a fur coat, so I managed to keep alive. The last day I left Gen. W. shooting and came down to Gulahek by myself over the Tochal which is the highest pass in the range, a long delicious path, getting in at 12. I spent the next day at Gulahek and then reluctantly bade the Marlings farewell and set out on my return journey. It would be quite impossible to have been kinder or more hospitable than they were, the visit to Gulahek was one of unmixed enjoyment. I motored to Kazvin [Qazvin] and stayed there 3 days for I found a lot of intelligence stuff which they wanted to have arranged and printed. So they handed me their files and I busily copied out and collated and am taking the results to Baghdad. I really did earn my keep there for I was busy for 2½ days with intervals of lunching and dining with Gen. Dunsterville who is in command there. I told you he is Stalkly, but I have now to tell you that he is a truly delightful creature, generous, enthusiastic, entertaining - it's a long time since I met anyone I liked quite so much. Altogether I enjoyed my 3 days though Kazvin was hot and the number of sandflies and mosquitoes passes belief. I stayed with my former host, kind Mr Hart, the bank manager who was also very good company. And yesterday I had a very agreeable day motoring on here where I am again with the MacMurrays, charming people. I've had to write so many letters this morning, to be sent in to Baghdad by the motor this afternoon, that I've only had time to give you a skeleton account of my life and times, but it's enough, isn't it, to show that I'm very flourishing. I've no letters, of course. Posts don't seem ever to arrive in Persia. Your very affectionate daughter Gertrude