Jan 5. SS Orenogne[?] Marseille Dearest Mother. Here I am safely embarked after a very prosperous journey. There were lots of people I knew in the train to Paris, mostly going to Switzerland - the whole Cobham family, Florence Pease and her daughter - and Sir Frank Swettenham came to the station to see me off. It was a cold and a rough crossing.
Viollet and his wife came to the Gare de Lyons, found me dining there and stayed till I left. He has just come back from 10 months of Mesopotamia. They are both handsome attractive people; indeed she is very good looking but I should think very stupid. She said almost nothing and referred to him when I asked her anything. My impression is that he has not done very much, at any rate he hasn't done much at Ukheidir [Ukhaydir] for he was only one day there. He confirms my impression that it is early Moslem and he found a mihrab in the place I told him to look for one (a prayer niche) thus showing, as I had conjectured, that that court was a mosque. This is rather a triumph for me.

I had a little Frenchwoman in my compartment to Marseilles. She is going to Egypt on this boat, but I don't think she will make a marked difference to the voyage. Here it is frosty, with a bright sun. I am sitting out of doors to write to you, there being always sheltered places on a ship, but I can't say that it is balmy. However it is beautifully fine and still - may it continue to be so! I get to Alexandria on Monday and go up to Cairo. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude