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S.S. Shanghai. Ap 4. Dearest Father. We breathe again! Oh, but it has been hot. The tropics gave us a rousing farewell. We had a light following wind and no breath of air in any part of the ship. One night it was impossible to sleep even on deck. It was not unpleasant keeping watch with the rolling signs of heaven. The Southern Cross flamed companionship and the beautiful Scorpion climbed out of the sea to join the vigil. Today it's grey and windy, we are still in white clothes but we no longer pant. We have fallen on our feet as regards comfort. Everybody on board has put themselves in 4 to be obliging. I think we still owe some of it to Sir Frank, for he drove me down himself to the docks and sent a troop of servants to look after our things. So that we arrived on board trailing clouds of glory! We have cabins to ourselves and a charming Captain who plays not at all a bad game at Bridge. We go straight on to Shanghai in this boat; she waits 36 hours in Hong Kong. Hugo, who has been having beef tea of a morning and special cookings for every meal, is already beginning to look quite brisk and fat. Nothing could have been better for him than this uninterrupted sea journey into colder weather. We have not yet decided whether the few days' delay will alter our plans. Probably we shall end by giving a little less time to Pekin [Beijing (Peking)] and going on as before. But if we make any change we shall telegraph to you. On all counts, as to comfort and as to dates, we could not have been delayed with less inconvenience. When I consider that we might have been cast up in a piggy hotel, I thank whatever gods there be. The Lonsdales were going to arrive in Singapore the day after we left. Sir Frank was very keen we should stay and help to entertain them. It would have been rather comic! I think I must write to Sir Cecil and tell him how kind he was to us. I wish Mother would read a book of his called the Real Malay - some of it seems to me uncommonly good. We have managed to distribute our mails fairly evenly by dint of having some of them forwarded to Java [Jawa] the day before we returned to Singapore. They came back again before we left, but we got them in inverted order, your letter written on the China reaching us before the one containing the news of the NER Pease meeting. I think Sir J. has got off rather easily, don't you? We were enchanted with the Highfield letters - Aunt Kate's almost amounts to a curio. I agree most heartily to the Cretan plans - do let's keep Uncle Tom to it, we must have another travel together, we three. We'll come back to Asia Minor, won't we? They'll just be digging up Colophon. We'll go and stay with the Van Lenneps and watch them unearth the spoils of Troy. You seem to have become quite the gambler - vide your China letter. Don't waste our fortunes, please! I learnt a great deal of Bridge at Govt. House. They play a very sporting game. We gambolled [sic] too a little, 2[?] dollars a hundred, that's about 4/, but I came out at the end 50 cents to the good, rather boringly nothing one way or the other. It was good fun though. They always expect a heart from you if they double No trumps - I forgot to ask whether they did and lost 5 tricks once by leading my smallest suit! and they have some very good conventions about leaving the declaration to your partner, the upshot of which are that the man to whom it is left can venture on no trumps far oftener than he otherwise would. For if you have really nothing you make a black suit first in hand invariably. It's right, I think; you're sure to let your partner in if you don't. They've played since '94. We made Sir Frank talk a great deal of politics - I know quite a lot about Siam [Thailand] now! He swears by Chamberlain, the only minister of the crown he has ever known who impressed him as being a statesman. But he loathes the F.O. and as for Sir Thomas, his language about him is scarcely to be repeated! I must say, judging by some of the tales he told me, I don't wonder. I've not talked so much for a long time! Once we sat over breakfast for 2 hours, Sir F. and I and a man called Ireland who was staying there. The latter is doing some articles on Colonial Govt. for the Times. He knows (and swears by) Domnul, and loves Mr Tyrrell - he was working in the FO library for a bit and so came to know him. His subject is a comparison of English French and Dutch methods in these parts - it sounds interesting. We dare to hope that it's the Minor Moralist which is awaiting us at Hong Kong. That will be exciting! I wish Mother would tell me what she's building now. It's very mysterious about the Sligos - this is in answer to her letter. I don't think it can be because they're fat. And you wouldn't have thought Lady S. was entirely without discrimination either. H. has written to Elsa so I won't answer her delightful letter now. If ever we feel low in our minds the photographs of Amran will be a sovereign specific. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude
We've arrived in Hong Kong (Ap. 6 [6 April 1903]) and the Blakes have asked us to stay. We leave tomorrow.