Baghdad Oct [i.e. November] 3 Darling Father. We are still unhappy for Sylvia can't yet use her eye, almost entirely, we believe, owing to mismanagement on the part of the oculist Dr Spencer. Mismanagement or not, one thing was certain and it was that he didn't wash his hands before touching her eye nor yet used boiled water for it. She is very susceptible to infection and finally I was goaded to violent protest which I made to my good friend, Dr Dunlop, head of the Royal Hospital. He was most kind, at once took our part, told Spencer not to come to her again and gave him a terrific wigging. Since he left she has been getting very slowly better, but as she can't see to read she is having a very horrid time. When I get back from the office, I spend the time reading and talking to her and playing bezique. So I have no time left for anything else and you must forgive me if my letters are brief. I try to get half an hour's excercise [sic] a day but don't always. Fortunately we can almost always arrange a game of bridge in the evening. The only night we were alone was last Thursday when we spent an agreeable evening together. On Friday we dined with the Bourdillons. On Saturday S. came came [sic] over to lunch at the Residency and we had the Afnans to dine. She plays quite well and Saiyid Husain plays so badly that it is, as Nora would say, a joke. S. shook with laughter over his declarations. Badi' Afnan entertained us with tales of the behaviour of the Turks. She went this summer to C'ple [Istanbul (Constantinople)] to visit her grandmother. The Turks refused to recognize her 'Iraqi passport, she didn't like to appeal to the Embassy lest it should bring trouble on the grandmother; they kept her two days on the ship and then, unaccountably, let her land. Before she left they pestered her until she had to register herself all over again as an 'Iraqi subject at the Turkish F.O. The wife of our Prime Minister had a far worse experience. They told her at C'ple that she must go straight back on the same ship to Beyrout [Beyrouth (Beirut)]. She went back as far as Adalia [Antalya (Attalea)] where she found a Turkish Wali whom she knew, appealed to him and got permission to return to C'ple and land. Aren't they beasts. On Sunday morning I went with Ken to the opening of the second session of Parliament by Zaid, a very short ceremony as Zaid gabbled through his speech from the throne. However I was amused to see the Parliament which I hadn't seen as it met just after I went on leave. In the middle of the morning it began to rain hard and went on till 4. We had Mr Cooke and Mr Kitching (Administrative Inspector, Diwaniyah [Diwaniyah, Ad]) to lunch and the latter entertained us with most interesting tales of his 9 months' imprisonment in Germany in 1918. At 5 Ken and I walked along the river bank which was comparatively dry to Saiyid Husain's house where we chose an adorable yellow spaniel puppy for me and brought it back. It's name is Michael and it is 6 weeks old. Ken and Mr Swan (Finance) dined and played bridge - very amusing for Mr Swan plays a sound game. It poured in the night and on Monday it was so muddy that the kind Bourdillons could not play tennis as they intended and came round to play bridge with us. At 5 we were interrupted by a young Air Force Intelligence officer, namens Foote, a very nice boy, and we all had tea together. After which I had a breath of air with Ken. That evening Zaid came to dinner, the party being Ken and Mr and Mrs Bury. Mr Bury is the new Advisor to the Ministry of Works, an irrigation man from Egypt, and exceptionally pleasant. His wife is class B lady however. We played a foolish card game called Rummy, under Sylvia's instruction. It was an immense success. On Tuesday we dined with Ken - Major Wilkins (Police) as the Bridge fourth. So you see everyone is being very good to us and helping us to pass the time. Tonight we have two men of the King's diwan, Rustam Beg and Mr Kasbani, both Syrians to dine. They play a very good game of bridge. Mr Keeling and Ken are coming in after tea. H.E. left last night on a short tour. I have found time to write (mostly on Sunday) my great memo on Syria. It is now being typed and I think it will make people sit up. The Damascus [Dimashq (Esh Sham, Damas)] business was horrible. Official accounts only make it seem worse. Mr Smart behaved quite admirably with great courage and calmness. His report is a very fine piece of work. But the French were unspeakable. Meantime to the east of us another worthless ruling family has fallen. The Heir Apparent (acting regent) is expected a fugitive in 'Iraq today. We live in the centre of excitement. I am very sorry about Ferguson - I had no inkling of what was going on. And I am very glad that Ellen is staying; I like her. I hope Mrs Ismay is better. What agitations! almost as severe as ours. Thank you darling for your address. I haven't had a moment to read it - I haven't read a word of anything but office stuff for the last week. We really have been unlucky, haven't we. We have decided not to try to go up to Iltyd on Saturday. I feel sure Sylvia could not. I can scarcely bear not to write to Mother in answer to her delightful letter of Oct 20 but Sylvia is alone and I can't stay away longer. Your very loving daughter Gertrude