S.S. Ortona. Wed 11. Dearest Mother. Tomorrow we reach Port Said and I rather hope I shall find an Austrian Lloyd going on the same day to Jaffa [Tel Aviv-Yafo (Joppa)]. We get in very early so that I shall have plenty of time to collect my camp and stow it on a ship if there is one. It's been a most pleasant voyage, almost perfect sea weather and warm enough to sit on deck all day without a coat. It was rather rough on Monday after we got through the Straits of Messina [Messina, Stretto di] but not enough to matter. We had a most exquisite morning through the Straits and Etna looked more beautiful than I have ever seen him. White with snow down to the vinyards [sic] - we passed him about 1 o'clock and he was still in sight at sunset. All the mountains of Calabria were deep in snow. Yesterday there introduced himself to me a nice Wynn Finch boy who had got on at Naples [Napoli]. He has been with his people at Taormina but they had had bitter cold weather and he left them to go out to Australia and back. He looks fearfully delicate, but he is an attractive creature. He is travelling with the Andersons, the owners of this line and I was glad to have an opportunity of thanking them for all the kindness of their people in London and apologizing for the trouble we had given them. Mrs Anderson is a sister a [sic] Mrs Runciman - a bustling cheerful little woman. He is going to Australia to arrange about their mail contract which they have from there and which expires in a month or two. He thinks they will get it again, but there is some doubt because they use Lascars in the engine rooms and the Australians have made a dead set against all coloured labour. It's perfectly ridiculous of course, for European stokers cause endless troubles and delays and can barely do their work in the tropics. They say the P&O are going to refuse to run their boats to Australia if the colonials hold out as to the Lascars. It's curious to see how all the Englishmen who have to deal with Australia hate the people there. It's scarcely surprising however for they hamper them with outrageous regulations at every step. As soon as these boats get into Australian waters they are charged duty on all the provisions that are used on board. It's almost incredible that we can allow this sort of thing. I should like to hand Australia over to Germany for 50 years and see what they made of King Stork. This man Osborne that I sit by at dinner is a rabid protectionist. He is as stupid as you choose, but he is a sheep farmer and naturally he wants an extra shilling or two on wool. He hasn't the beginning of an idea that his little silly personal interests don't weigh a feather in the big scales of English commerce. God bless my soul - etc! This is for Father!
I played Bridge most of yesterday, at least from lunch to bedtime and they have put me down for a Bridge tournament this afternoon. It's quite amusing. I believe I shall feel a little sorry tomorrow that I'm not going on further in this ship. It's a very pleasant form of travelling, only I long for Father all the time. Specially this morning - absolutely perfect mild weather and the deck bathed with sun. I wish the dear old thing were sitting by me writing a paper of Free Trade as he probably would be. I should like very much to see his Cobden Club speech by the bye, if a copy could be sent to me.

There is rather a nice old thing on board, a Mrs Ewart, who is a cousin of the Rutsons. She lives in Surrey and we talk about gardening.

By the way, as to my electric lights, please tell Father I did not ask for any more because I thought it would be too grasping, but if he puts in another in my sitting room I think it might be a moveable lamp on the other side of the fireplace near the door. This is how I mean to arrange the room: [plan of room] XX these bookcases are from floor to ceiling. 00. above the writing table I shall probably have hanging bookcases from the ceiling to the level of the writing table and very likely some deep shelves in the doorway that leads into the dressing room to hold very big deep photographs and archaeology books. I shall hang the light above the writing table on the bookcase as I do in London on the bookcase there, but I want to be able to take it down and stand it on the writing table. Similarly the other light on the right side of the window must be moveable so that I can put it onto a table in that corner. I'll leave this letter open so as to add a word as to how I fare tomorrow.

Thursday. [12 January 1905] Perhaps you thought I was going to arrive at Jaffa [Tel Aviv-Yafo (Joppa)] tomorrow? Far from it. As usual there is quarantine, however it is not very discomoding. I have to go up to Beyrout [Beyrouth (Beirut)] and probably have a day's inspection there, that is a day waiting in the boat in harbour, I hope. Or indeed by the time I get there there may even be no inspection. I get a French boat, the Salazic - Maurice will remember here for we came back on her from Hong Kong. She leaves at 11 tomorrow morning, but she comes in at 9 tonight and I shall get on board as soon as she arrives so as to avoid sleeping at a hotel and transporting my luggage. And I arrive at Beyrout on Sunday. From there I think I shall probably ride down to Jerusalem [(El Quds esh Sherif, Yerushalayim)]. I've never been down that bit of coast and it would give me the opportunity of spending 24 hours at Haifa - I've been thinking that I was rather a beast to come to Syria and not to go and see my dear Persians there.
I had 2 letters for people here - the Consul and the Commandant of the Canal. Both were away for the day which was rather unfortunate. It might have been more so, as I wanted money, if I had not luckily known the Orient SS Co's agent here, who obligingly cashed my cheque. Tell Domnul, who gave me the letter to the Consul, that I tried to see him and was much disappointed at not succeeding.

Days spent at Port Said are certainly not red letter days. The last I spent here was with Hugo - I wish he were with me now, though I can't think he would desire it. But it is a pleasure to be speaking Arabic again. I feel it coming back in a flood and every time I open my lips, expecting toads, pearls come out! at least, seed pearls! It's much warmer here than at Naples [Napoli], though there is still a cold air. But the sun is bright and heavenly. I've collected all the baggage I forwarded and everything goes well. Ever your affectionate daughter Gertrude