September 3 [1913]

Brindisi

My dear Gertrude,

Out of this perfectly vile hole I write to you happy I hope in your Rounton garden – We got there to time & were followed in a few hours by the Russian & German delegates – The Russian one Colonel Boudine Lewkovitch the military attaché ay Athens and the German major Thielly, a battalion commander from Konigsberg – Both pleasant fellows, especially the German.

But the others won’t come not even the Italians by whose express request we are left to stew here, instead of Corfu where at least there is a decent Inn and where one can find servants and horses –

It is going to be very difficult – the interests conflict so sharply and there is a little difference of 80 kilometres between them – There is some talk of the Italians shepherding us all with escorts & nursemaids but I am at least going to have my own camp and my own peace – and not be one of a crowd seeing exactly who our Italian protectors may want us to see & no one else – For that reason I am glad I brought my wife who is a reasonable excuse for a separate camp and Table –

The Italians and Austrians have appointed their Janina consuls – this appears to me unlikely to make for agreement. The papers (Italian) are already full of exclamations over Greek manufacture of evidence not to mention their armed occupation. The Albanian deputation, Nogga & Iº, who were in London have just left here - These two well known Janina Consuls must have ties & prejudices one way or another – And what is worse, they won’t even come confound them – I don’t know who the Frenchmen is. My Russian friend swears that the Austrian is some form of bastard & son of poison –

Yes – a separate camp is absolutely desirable – I am for breaking for Corfu to collect servants & horses – I think we are probably kept here partly because so we cannot get any transport or independence of our own.

But it is a foul spot –dirty noisy dusty glary hot beyond belief – full of mosquitoes – nothing to do except be robbed by some scoundrel – and I ought by now to have shot 2 of my reindeer – for a time wrapt from the world in some damp mountain – and glorious –

Of your charity write to me – it will help for I love an even mind – a little more of Brindidi and it will never be even any more – they unload ships under your bedroom window, so that you may realise the number & ferocity of mosquitoes.
Yours,