G.H.Q. Basrah [Basrah, Al (Basra)]. Dearest Father. I had a long letter from each of you last mail - I haven't them with me here for the dates - You give me rather disquieting news about Elsa. I shall be very glad indeed to hear further. Mother wrote about Marie's departure. I don't see how anything else could be done. She wrote to me and I think she might possibly want to come back after the war, but there is time enough to think of that. I went down to Muhammarah for 3 days and stayed with a young couple called Greenwood (Anglo Persian Oil) very nice and pleasant. I paid a long visit on the Shaikh of Muhammarah in his great house on the Karun - a fantastic place with horrible European things and almost equally horrible Oriental, the latter being mainly really bad modern Persian work and the crudest plaster reliefs in imitation of Sasanian [sic] rock cut things. The Shaikh is a fine imposing figure but the real man of the place is his chief adviser, Hajji Rais, an astute little Persian born in Muhammarah, a very considerable politician, driving as hard a bargain as he can but a man of his word once it is passed. He lent me his motor launch and I went one morning to the oil factory at 'Abadan and was shown round by the manager. They are doing a great deal of Admiralty work, over and above the supplying of oil fuel. The resources of the oil fields seem to be boundless and the output is merely a question of how much they expand the works. The shops were well built and wonderfully cool; fortunately it was a coolish day, for I believe they get the temp. up to 130° in the works. Mr Walpole, managing director, came to lunch and we had a long talk. He is very agreeable, was at Eton with George Lloyd and I suppose with Hugo, but I forgot to ask. Hajji Rais's son, Hajji Muskir[?] brought me back in the launch to Basrah next morning, all the better for the change. This last lap of the hot weather is very hard to bear. It is really a little cooler, one doesn't need an electric fan before 7 a.m. but it's still very stuffy and close after sunset when the world exudes all the burning heat of the day. And one hasn't got the energy to {resist} stand up against it that one had 4 months ago. However it's nearly over. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude