Karachi. Feb 26 Dearest Father. I'm now staying with a General - name of Shaw. It's a short visit; I arrived this morning at 9 and kind Mrs Shaw met me at the station, so coated in dust, I was, as to be scarcely human. She took me up to their very comfortable house where after breakfast I've had a comprehensive washing and feel better. My boat leaves tomorrow. Now my host was in command at Aden [('Adan)] during the reverses here and you must not think that I have not had time already to hear something of his side of the story - the same tale of muddle and lack of forethought which meets one everywhere, no doubt I shall listen to more of it before I go.
I can't remember where I left off in my last letters. I spent the remaining days at Delhi ardently reading all their files and got through the most important of them. And did I tell you that a man came down from Simla to see me and spent a long day discussing how we should best co-operate in Intelligence work, so that the same ground should not be covered twice over by Egypt and by India. That was most profitable and I sent my scheme to Cairo for an approval which I think I shall get. It seems obviously reasonable that we should not work in watertight compartments but it's not an idea which dominates official dealings, though I find everyone curiously ready to accept it when once it's mooted. The result is that I'm now enrolled as one of the editors of the Gazetteer of Arabia which is being compiled at Simla and I very much fear that I shall have to come back and see Col. Murphy there before I return to Egypt - whenever that may be. My last night at Delhi I dined with Mr Grant, of the Indian F.O. and had a long evening's talk with him which was very useful. He also would like to see me on my back and he wants me to come with a sort of informal report for the benefit of the new Viceroy. If I have anything to say, therefore, I expect I shall have to go back and say it, but it depends on how long they keep me at Basrah [Basrah, Al (Basra)] and on how much they let me see and hear. It's a terrible drawback changing viceroys at this moment. Lord H. [Hardinge] with his wide knowledge and experience is not only able to direct Indian foreign policy, but his opinions carry so much weight at home whereas Lord C. [Chelmsford] will have it all to learn. If only they could consult Lord H. when he gets home it would not matter, but that is wholly contrary to official usage and my fear is that the last thing the F.O. will do is to refer Mesopotamian and Persian problems to the man who knows them best when they have him at their hand. I left Delhi after dinner on Wed. everning, getting into the train in my evening gown as is the habit in this country, and got to Lahore next morning, where I spent 24 hours - at an hotel, for once, as the high official people were away on tour. I wanted to go back and see the museum there and wasn't sorry to have a day to myself after all the pomp and ceremony of Delhi. And then 24 hours on here, through intolerable dust. I have some hope that I may get a mail here before I go - I telegraphed to Bombay for my letters.

It's not an easy matter entertaining kings in India. We had one at Delhi just before I left - Mysore he was - whose caste was so high that the V. had to build a house of 6 rooms for his reception. He could not eat or pray except in rooms of a certain size arranged in a certain order.

I attended a meeting of the Legislatine Council one morning, with Domnul. It's the strangest assembly, our own Englishmen and then a collection of every sort of Asiatic, some in native dress (the Barman[?] exquisite in silk petticoats) some in ordinary European clothes surmounted by a turban of scarlet or gold. What a country! Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude