20th April, 1919 Dear Friend, Christmas in the desert and Easter at sea has been my lot. One is very much like the other - plenty of company, but no old friends. The table is being set for lunch, with curry and rice as usual, I suppose, and instead of spring lamb, ordinary goat meat. I have no complaints as regards this trip. The food is a splendid change from the second-rate mess, while the passengers are a jolly crowd. The crew, like all others in this part of the world, is Scotch and there are several Scotch passengers. There are two English businessmen, a Baghdad Jew, and a Portuguese merchant, besides a Persian family in the first-class. On the deck, the swarthy Orientals lying on their richly-coloured carpets speak a Babel of tongues. As the number of Persians and Arabs has decreased at each port, I realize that the land of my adoption is far behind and India with its heathen civilization is not far away. Tomorrow at this time I expect to disembark.. The next month is full of uninteresting uncertainty and a certain amount of anxiety. If I can get demobilized, it will only be a case of waiting for a boat. Otherwise, I shall have to apply for an extension of my ten days' leave and put off my return by some means or other until I am fit for duty again. My programme in India will depend on what happens regarding demobilization. If I have to stay here, my first move will be to the hills, where people are supposed to enjoy themselves in hotels and clubs. I have never said that I preferred Bombay to any desert village and never will. But I had to leave the Gulf on account of my health and it will take at least three months for me to recuperate. To get two months is my object if I have to go back. I got the "Review" regularly and enjoyed it immensely. Since I have written bad letters and received fewer during the past six months, it supplied all the local home news and thus was a fairly good substitute for letters. My address for the summer is: c/o Messrs. Cox and Co., Bombay. Your sincerely Austin