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T. E. Lawrence to his family
[On S.S. Royal
George]
End of March, 1916
We are in the
Straits now. - Bab el Mandeb - with a splendid Arabia on one side, and a
dull damp Persia on the other. I wonder why Arabia is the best-looking
land, however you see it. I suppose it is the name that does it.
We have been about
ten days at sea, and have perhaps two more, I suppose. A
comfortable-going ship, where they leave one alone, and easy water.
Rather cold some days, but generally mild and pleasant. There hasn't
been much to see. A long-continued line of Arabian hills on the left,
some Red Sea Islands, no more than rocks, and Aden, which is a jagged
rim of coloured cliffs sticking up out of the water... no beach, no flat
land, but very beautifully coloured, and striated, with deep polished
ravines. From the sea it was splendid, but it would be hot to live in on
the sheltered side, where the little port is.
Flying fish are
little things like minnows, that splash off the water like a flung
stone. They look pretty at night, when it is phosphorescent, for then
they leap away from the ship in jagged flights, splashing out
constellations of stars.
I won't write to you
from Basra I expect. I will be very busy ashore, and will make my way
back probably by the boat which would carry the mail. Unless I have
fortune to return at the same time as the flagship, in which case I will
go twice as fast. We will take about twelve or thirteen days this trip.
I hope Bob is
better. Diphtheria seems to be a very unpleasant ailment: however you
will not be sorry to have him sitting at home for a bit.
Tell Arnie that
Heredia (in my house) is a man who paints pictures in words as perfectly
as ever they have been done in colour. Let him get fond of Hypnos.
There is more in that little head in the bronze room than came out of
Phigaleia. If the Ashmolean is still open let him try and understand
those broken heads by Scopas. It is an education which takes time.
I expect Mr. Hogarth
is in Egypt now. I want to bring Gertrude [Bell] back with me, and our
Arabian office will be complete.
N.
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