𒀭𒀏

To H.B.

Bagdad, October 14th, 1925.

It has been so wonderful coming back here. For the first two days I could not do any work at all in the office, because of the uninterrupted streams of people who came to see me. "Light of our eyes," they said, "Light of our eyes," as they kissed my hands and made almost absurd demonstrations of delight and affecttion. It goes a little to the head, you know - I almost began to think I were a Person.

Sylvia also came to dine... On Friday she moved over to me. She has Marie's room which we have made very comfortable and Marie sleeps in the garden room - the sitting room when you were here. My household are thrilled to have her and put themselves in four to serve her...

On Saturday afternoon we annexed Mr. Warner (our travelling companion who is on his way to the Teheran Legation) and took him off to call on Haji Naji. Haji Naji took us through all the orange gardens, loaded us with fruit and flowers and gave us tea and coffee. It was so delicious - Sylvia loved it...

Edward Poynter - Sir Hugh Bell and his 8-year-old daughter Gertrude (1876)

I called on all the Ministers, found them all in their offices and had a most satisfactory talk with each one of them: they are worn to a shadow what with having to sit in Parliament all the morning, get through their office work between12 and 4 and then attend a meeting of the Government party to settle the line which is to be taken next day in the house. But the system is working excellently...

They have almost got through the work of the preliminary session (the budget) and hope to adjourn next week. The new session meets on November 1 but their scheme is to open it formally and then prorogue for a month or 6 weeks. I devoutly hope they will for I find the compilation of the parliamentary reports from the very bad reports in the vernacular papers a most exhausting business. One begins by reading all the papers through and then one compiles a composite report drawn from all four.

On Sunday afternoon Sylvia and I went to the races. It was excessively hot - it has been over 90 every day since we came back - and S. wasn't feeling very fit, though she would not hear of not going...

She was looking quite enchanting in a black and white muslin gown. She creates a sensation in Bagdad society whenever she appears. H.E. brought us back and sat talking for a bit. Sylvia then went to tea and read while I tackled some of my gradually diminishing pile of papers. At 7:30 I went in and found her very unwell and in great pain. I sent at once for a Doctor; Sinbad is still away but I got hold of Woodman whom we both like very much. Her temperature was 104.

To H.B.

Bagdad, October 14th, 1925.

On Monday morning S. was better. I saw her Doctor before I went to the office and heard that he considered her malady to be nothing but the usual sort of internal upset that almost every newcomer goes through before they settle down to Bagdad. I've no doubt the unaccustomed heat had something to do with it...

Sir Henry has written a quite admirable report on the history of the country since 1920 - taking it up where my white paper left it. The C.O. is going to publish it and you must read it at once. There is a really beautiful page about Sir Percy with a very graceful mention of me at the end. For once in my life I have liked being mentioned by name as part of Sir Percy's material...

...No, railway discussions can't be very cheerful at this juncture. I do wish you hadn't such horrid things to do - I feel a real compunction at having such nice ones to do myself.

...On Sunday morning I didn't go out - far from it. I had breakfast in bed and tried to make believe that I wasn't an overworked Oriental secretary. I wrote a remarkable memo. on tribal customs, the second. I had spent all Saturday morning over the first at the office.

...In spite of all I have said of my activities in the office you must please remember that I am not a Person...

To H.B.

Bagdad, Nov. 17th, 1925.

On Sunday the King at last arrived. Ken took Sylvia and me to the aerodrome where all high dignitaries and notables were assembled. We waited there for about three-quarters of an hour but it was very amusing talking to all the people. At 11 H.M.'s great plane came in sight, convoyed by 9 little planes, a most beautiful spectacle, and made a perfect landing, drawing up exactly opposite the reception tents. H.E., Zaid and Ghazi went forward to greet him as he stepped out, the Ministers, Advisers and I followed, and out he came looking very well and very much pleased while the British guard of honour played the Arab national tune. It was immensely effective and has made a deep impression here on the Arab mind.

Having made my curtsey I retired into the background while H.M. sat in his tent and received the notables. S. and I drove behind his procession with Ken to the end of the town to see the decorations and the crowd. There is no doubt he has come back with a large and shining halo...

To H.B.

Bagdad, Nov. 25th, 1925.

...The two Americans dined with Mr. Edwards who is a very eager amateur. After dinner we three examined pottery which they had picked up on the tells near Khabur, a northern tributary of the Euphrates. I'm going to bore you by telling you that a lot of it was our oldest Sumerian stuff which we have got both in the Southern Delta and round Kirkuk, all of which means that the earliest Sumerian civilization (circa 3300 B.C. a date well within the margin) covered the whole area of the two rivers. Some other pottery they had obviously much later, which they could not place. I had a vague idea that I knew it. I got down one of the Hertzfeld's great Euphrat-Tigris Gebiet volumes and there it was! exactly, exactly the same in his pictures late classical or early Byzantine. I may add that the Americans jumped (too hastily) to the conclusion that they had met in me the first authority on Mesopotamian pottery...

...My hat what a social asylum bridge is

...Next day Sunday, I went to the Museum where I had an assignation with the two Americans. We spent a glorious hour over early pottery and all of us learnt a good deal - I know I did. On the way home I showed them a couple of mediaeval buildings and an 8th century marble mihrab, the oldest monument in Bagdad. They were thrilled and so was I. We went to the Diyala and walked along the bank in palm groves, most lovely though why a bit of desert and a stretch of and a few palms and a sunset should have been so lovely I don't know. It was only God's bright and intricate device I suppose...

Gertrude Bell

(14 July 1868 – 12 July 1926)