[18 May 1918] Baghdad May 18 Dearest Father. It's now 6 AM and I'm sitting in my garden with nothing on but a nightgown - a brilliant morning, the roses still full of bloom, my gazelle lying contentedly beneath the shade of an oleander bush, eating the grass in the irrigation channel. This shows you that summer has at last begun here; but it's nothing to signify even now. The temp. has barely been above 100 and the world hasn't dried up yet. It's my belief that we shall not have anything of a summer this year. I've had rather a frivolous week because the I.G.C. has been up and when he is here he usually appears in the office about 5 and we go out motoring into the desert where we walk for a bit. Not infrequently I also dine with him on his ship, a most comfortable H.Q. of his when he is on the move. General Stuart Wortley and Col. Willcox make up the party. Yesterday Gen. S.W. and I took the I.G.C. out riding and Gen. Brooking has also been here for a night and came to tea with the I.G.C. in my office. But the social incident of the week was that I took the C. in C. to Mu'adhdham [Azamiyah, Al], just N. of Baghdad where there is a famous Sunni mosque in which there are some rather good old carpets. The C. in C. is a great connaisseur. I let the Mutawalli of the the mosque know we were coming (you remember perhaps a charming luncheon party which the old boy gave us not long ago) and he assembled a discreet gathering of leading Sunnis, one or two judges and such like. After we had looked at the carpets and been taken into the shrine which contains the tomb of the founder of the Hanafi sect of Islam and we went to the Mutawalli's charming house opposite the mosque and were entertained on tea and coffee and mulberries. The C. in C. was charming to our hosts and didn't look a bit bored. I interpreted and the whole party was an immense success. The Mu'adhdham people were delighted and I feel sure that kind of little friendly entertainment is a good thing.
We have gone up as far as Kirkuk as you have seen in the papers, and are going to hold it - a big undertaking as it's a long way off and also the country is very starving and there will be a great deal to be done. Mr Bullard has taken over there - it's largely Turkish speaking and he is an excellent Turkish scholar. I miss him very much but he is no doubt enjoying himself thoroughly. Captain Balfour comes up here as soon as the Najaf [Najaf, An] trial is over - we shall hang some of the rogues who were responsible for the murder of Capt. Marshall. I think he is going to Ba'qubah which will at least be nearer here so that he will probably appear in Baghdad more frequently. Now I must have a bath and dress - goodbye dearest family. Your ever affectionate daughter Gertrude.

I'm writing to Marte and telling her to make me some things, but also she is to communicate with Mother about despatching them for it is not the least good sending parcels - they just don't arrive ever.