Dec 12 [i.e. 11]. S.S. China. Dearest Mother. We get in tomorrow - tomorrow! isn't it wonderful! Though I'm rejoicing in this manner, I have certainly enjoyed the voyage, but still - well, one can't bring oneself to regret that one is within a night of a room without 2 other people in it, more than 8 ft square, tea that tastes of the tea plant, dinner that doesn't taste of the boiler, and an occasional moment of solitude. Aden [('Adan)] was rather disappointing; we arrived after dark at [sic] very reluctuantly, by the Captain's advice, gave up the project of dining on shore - we were not off till midnight, so that we might have dined and supped. Mr Schuster, plucky old thing, went off by himself and had coffee in Asia, the first time he had set foot on that continent. I expect he will presently take to a seafaring life. He told me that till this year terror of the sea has been a perfect mania with him, so much so that he has seen a friend off at Flushing and gone himself to Calais by train to avoid the crossing. At last he said to himself "This must be stopped. I will go to India" and I believe he is the only person who really regrets that the voyage is over. He appears in the most curious clothes like pyjamas gone dull. I congratulated him upon them and he said with pride "Ah yes, a nephew of mine who had been in India fitted me out. He gave me his whole wardrobe, otherwise I should never have discovered anything so suitable." He also wears a brilliant yellow tie - I think he must have discovered that for himself. It's so unsuitable. You can't think how charming and amusing and agreeable the Russells have been. It's added a great deal to the pleasure of the voyage having them. I've made friends with a pleasant Major Lee - Gilbert introduced him to me - who knows Syria and Mr Chirol, but my chief ally is good old Lord Dartrey who comes and tells me about Indian archaeology and architecture, about which he seems to know something. He is rather a dear and she is a very charming woman. I have also made acquaintance with a Lady Mackenzie who is a sister of Lady Macdonald's (Tokio [Tokyo]) and knows Mr Chirol too. And there is a very attractive little Indian woman with her husband. They are rather swells for his father is a judge of the Supreme Court of Bombay. She is a Mahommadan but travels about quite unveiled. I asked her about their manners and customs and found that they were extraordinarily emancipated. She doesn't go about unveiled at home but she may have all her male relations and even intimate friends to see her. We have had rather rough weather the last 3 days, a north west monsoon, very unusual they say. Hugo and I were not incommoded, but a great many women and some men were laid low and the unfortunate Russells have had their port closed which has made their cabin uninhabitable. This has lessened social intercourse.

Friday. [12 December 1902] We've arrived and you can't think how happy we are! We got in at 11, a lot of wind and sea till the last moment, but it left us calm. A charming man called Colonel Olivier came to meet us - he's a brother in law of the Newbolts - and asked us to dine with him at the Yacht Club, but we're already engaged to Hugo's Cabin Companion, Mr Robertson, also, however, at the Yacht Club so we shall go and talk to Colonel O. after dinner. He has got the Gascoyne's dining with him. He took us to our hotel where we found 2 very nice rooms ready for us - bath rooms attached to each and altogether much more comfortable than we expected. Also a family of buffaloes lives under our window. Our servant Pir Muhammad met us at the quay; he seems a most agreeable party and he's going to teach us Hindustani. Our luggage we gave into the hands of agents and it has not yet appeared, 5 o'clock. I'm thankful we are not spending the afternoon with it in the Custom House. We found a letter from Arthur, a telegram from Domnul, and a letter from Kolhapur waiting us. We decide not to go to Kolhapur. The Maharaja has packed up all his carriages and things and sent them to Delhi and though the Ferrises ask us to go to them (he's Resident) we don't think that good enough. I'm not very sorry, for it's a long tedious journey and it leaves us a free fortnight before the Durbar. Colonel Olivier strongly advised us not to go. We then went out shopping, introduced ourselves at the Chartered Bank, where we were received with open arms; then bought pith helmets and dust cloaks. Do you know, I've been here before, I think I must have been an Indian in one of my births, because I know it all! It's extraordinarily familiar, the people and the cast marks and the bullocks, down to the crows even! The architecture of Bombay is Gothic - as far as we've seen - and the people are kind, polite and hot. Yet it's only 80° in the shade and there is a cool fresh wind. We're hot too, but not unpleasantly. We wrote our names on Lady Northcote and the Governor - we feel we have quite a nice select circle in Bombay already. We met Susan shopping with her host, Colonel Blunt who seems very pleasant. I've just had a letter from Oliver asking us when we are coming to see him. Tomorrow I'm going to call on some Babis and we think of going to Elephanta in the afternoon with Sibyl and Susan (that's how Sibyl spells her name).
Midnight. We have just come in from dining with Mr Robertson and the Dundases at the Yacht Club, a most enchanting cool place. When we left we drove with the Dundases along the Marine Lines by the edge of the sea - it's the fashionable park. On one side of it for some distance runs a high wall which encloses the Hindu burning ghats. There, as we passed, we saw a strong firelight thrown up onto the trees within the wall; it was the Death fire. And outside in the road one Hindu was teaching another the bicycle under the moon. That is Bombay. As we returned we met a troop of silent sheeted ghosts padding with bare feet along the road, the dead man's relations going home. And the firelight had burnt low.

Saturday. [13 Decembe 1902] India does make a noise in the morning! However we slept peacefully through it all and are forth on our adventures. Your affectionate daughter Gertrude