Baghdad Dec 7 Darling Father. Your letter of Oct 20 comes by this mail and I expect more letters tomorrow. We will telegraph another invitation to you - perhaps A.T. [Wilson] has done it already. If you leave in the middle of Feb. you should be here towards the end of March and that would be very nice. But don't be later because by the end of April it may be quite hot. I must break to you that I shan't come back with you. I really can't go away from this country, with which I'm so closely identified, while it's going through such a crisis in its fortunes as all next year it is sure to be. When you see the relations I'm on with the people you'll understand I feel sure. My idea is to go to George and Blanche for a month or so in the middle of the summer, but we'll see about that later. I hope your deafness is all right. What a bother. But if it came on so fast it's almost sure to be a passing thing. We shall be delighted to see you here and all my Arab friends will look upon your visit as the highest favour.
I've had rather a busy week, one way and another. I went to tea at the new nursing home for officers and English women one day. The kind old acting Medical Director, Col. Lane, took me. A very nice place and very nice women running it. Next day the head matron, Miss Jones, who was up here on inspection - she lives at Basrah [Basrah, Al (Basra)] - came to tea with me. I like her - as Lutyens said of Lady Anne Blunt selig, she is like a well-preserved walnut. To look at, I mean. Next day I had two generals to tea, Hambro and Stewart, respectively QMG and CGS. Both nice. Their wives are coming out shortly. And today I rode to Kadhimain [(Al Kazimiyah)], about 7 miles from Baghdad to call on a Persian Princess who is here on pilgrimage. She is the mother of the Minister for Foreign Affairs who has lately been in England, Nusrat al Daulah, I know him. I had to carry on in Persian with her, but I managed well enough. On the way back I had an adventure. A horrid little boy galopped [sic] past on a horse covered with Bells, making a noise like all the legions of Hell. And my horse took fright and backed about. So after a little I came off, onto a very hard road and cut a large hole in my chin - no other damage. Only it bled buckets. A kind Indian officer caught my horse and squired me back to Baghdad - for the horse was very jumpy for the first mile or two. He knew who I was of course, they all do, and we spent the time discussing how he should enter the civil service. I've no doubt he is now congratulating himself on his Good Samaritanism having gained him a friend at court. But if we employ all the people who pick me up when I tumble off a pony we shall have a large staff. I've sent for a doctor to mend my chin which is still being bluggy.

I'm gradually getting my house furnished and it's going to be very nice. Maple writes that my things were sent off in Oct - I ordered them in July! and meantime I've bought a charming black cupboard and chest in the bazaar, very cheap too. Marie has been invaluable in making curtains and generally seeing to things. She is the greatest comfort - I don't know how I did without her. Also my new cook - oh Father you'll love to see him. When he trails about in an abba he gives cachet to my garden I can tell you! Only, though he can cook quite a good deal and makes excellent cakes, he can't read or write, and as his memory is deficient the morning accounts are a trial. They run as follows:

G.B. Yallah! Mahdi, the accounts. I must go to the office.

M. Your servent, Khatun. I bought what's its name.

G.B. Well, what is its name?

M. Rice. Two krans

G.B. Eight annas. What next?

M. Then I bought what's its name.

G.B. What? Yallah!

M. Bread, 6 annas.

G.B. Go on.

M. And then I bought what's its name.

G.B. Merciful God! What?

M. Sugar, two rupees.

G.B. Two rupees. Yallah!

M. And then - Khatun, I forgot the eggs yesterday. One rupee.

G.B. All right. Go on.

M. And then I bought meat, one rupee.

G.B. What next?

M. Wallah, I bought - Khatun shall I prepare for your Excellency this evening estu?

(stew)

G.B. What you like. Finish the accounts.

M. On my head. And then what's its name.

And so on and so on till I'm hysterical between impatience and laughter.

- The doctor has been and has put two little rivets into my chin, rather a painful process. But I'm perfectly all right except for a pleasant lassitude, induced, I think, by the spoonful of whiskey he gave me. I never hurt any bones when I tumble about.

Sir G. Gibbs' letter was most interesting. I read all Sir G. Buchanan's letters in the Times, thank you. I need scarcely point out to your practised eye that the reason he thinks things were not well done in Mesopotamia was because Sir G. Buchanan didn't do them. I know him, of course. He is an almost incredible bundle of egotism. What he writes is wholly misleading. A.T. telegraphed asking permission to answer him with facts, but Edwin refused, I don't know why. Personally I think it was a pity. That kind of thing ought to be contradicted. It has, as a matter of fact, been comprehensively contradicted before it was published, by Sir John Hewett's report, but no one reads official reports and everyone reads letters and articles in the Times.

I've just got Domnul's first article, together with a very explicit private letter from him. It's a deadlock in Egypt, and entirely our own fault. When they asked to be allowed to put their views before the British Govt in London the F.O. replied that H.M.G. hadn't time to hear them! They will have to spend much more time now in putting things straight. Heaven guide us in this country and keep us from such errors!

By the way, will you please send my Syrian report to George Trevelyan, confidentially. I think it would interest him, after a talk he and I had in the summer.

Darling, do you know what they call me here? Umm al Mumium, the Mother of the Faithful, and the last person who bore that name was Ayeshah, the wife of the Prophet. Isn't it Belloved of them! But you see why I can't leave.

Would you let Milly see this letter? I can't write it all over again to her. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude

I wholly forgot to tell you the main feature of the week which was the Prophet's birthday - Sunni style; make no mistake, the Shiahs celebrate it a week later, as if he were Bellated twins, so to speak. The Pious Bequests Dept gives an official entertainment at Muadhdham [Azamiyah, Al], a much frequented Sunni shrine 3 miles above Baghdad; it consists of a square meal and prayers and for the first time we were invited - to the meal. I went and so did Frank Balfour with all his staff. It had rained heavily the night before - our long expected first rain which has come at last - and to motor out to Muadhdham was a ticklish business; the party began at 9 a.m. However we all arrived safely and found a gathering of all the men of religion sitting in the house of the Curator of the mosque. We sat round and chatted for an hour or so, very pleasantly, and then we had a lunch of excellent Arab food, provided in incredible quantities. Some thought the hour, 10.20 am, untoward, but I never mind how early I lunch. Then we all went back to our offices. I can't tell you how friendly and nice it all was; I loved it.