S.S. Saghalien. Friday night. Dearest Mother. We arrive tomorrow early at Naples [Napoli] and stay there till 11 so I expect I shall be pretty busy what with visiting Squadrilli and the Museum. I must therefore write you a line tonight. It's being the most delicious voyage in the world, hot bright sun and not a breath of wind. My one regret is that Father is not here to share it. We went north of Corsica [Corse], he will be interested to hear, which I had never done before. It is certainly a charming route with all the little islands to look at. A bad boat, however, and very indifferent food; but I have a cabin to myself, thanks to Cambafort's letter and am quite comfy. Mr Lascelles and his small Harrow boy - a Russian of phenomenal intelligence, a very respectable archaeologist and collector of coins aged 14 - are a great standby. They have with them a very attractive young man who is a Harrow master, so we make a pleasant little party. All the other passengers are most uninteresting except that Théodore Reinach is on board. I recognised him by his likeness to his brother Saloman and introduced myself. He is stupendously learned, an archaeologist. He has with him his son, a shy and spectacled Lycéen - I must say the contrast between him and the Russian boy is extraordinary, mainly due to the difference between the Lycée and Harrow and not to the credit of the Lycée. The French boy is completely at sea - in every sense; he looks like a shy little girl and doesn't leave his Father's side. Yet he is older than the other by several years. There travels with them an agreeable man called Pontremoli, who wrote an excellent book on the temple of Apollo Didymus. I've just read the book and I shall see the temple shortly so it has been interesting talking to him about it. They all get off at Naples. I'm sorry. Pontremoli is building Dr Reinach a Greek house on the Riviera - and they are going to furnish it entirely à la Greque - that's why they are travelling to Naples, to study Greek furniture in the museum! What it will be like in the end I tremble to think - and how uncomfortable!
My love and many happy returns of his birthday to Maurice - I hope he has had good fishing.

Is anything out on the rock garden? Your affectionate daughter Gertrude