T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 427

To Hogarth. 27.12.1917 est out was when we dragged out our glorious lunch-bag, specially stuffed in honour of the day. We emptied it out on the banks of the river, an horrible brown soup, with muddy lumps of eatables in it. However we were not entirely destitute, with heaps of water to drink and a walnut apiece. I told Tagir I would pay all his actual losses, but if possible the B.M. should give him a little more than this. We had an icy cold cruise across, two days difficult work in Hredji& with the authorities, and then this splodge on the way back, with a most ghastly night to follow. We had no bedding of our own, left, only a huge spongy lump, and what little we borrowed and slive in like . . . . .sed having baths all today, and probably Tagir also. I expected a lot of complaining, but he was quite cheerful all the time, and in Hredjik exceedingly diplomatic. It would have been quite hopeless for me to have gone across alone. I hope to go down on the 29th. towards Beyrout for Petrie: to-morrow I hope to get some sealst though I saw today were very poor: grayhoggy azte lady asking scarce. We re had two days after seals, going to nine places. I found five, and bought two, leaving three unimportant not to talk about those I got are a platu-horned animals (usual type) and a couple of double-discs (ruinously dear, though only 4 her first price:- but I can't know another of the shape), and a toned-iated cibroid from a goldsmith. Both were dear: till lated-stemmed cibroid from a goldsmith. Both were dear: till you let me .. to Tello: (I am off to ... Aleppo if near early Feb:) you see you would have given for them yourself? Madame Xooh had sent across to Jerasius, and her man had brought back .. ths pooh: but all the I hear of things with the Jerasusius trash is, but all the antidote it's so eerie and tedgy to be from there: most awful rot some of it is. Mr.Fontana spoke to the Vali about the alte: it seems Hredjik II and Trfa are now on is "service dépendent direct on Constantinople. She loves you madame Koch sends regards. So far you can depend on everything. so he says: Thank heaven she had only one seal! It turns out to be very expensive: so Kenyon paixexrexxxexrexxxrexx I'm now to go the Joh-fombrisius seal. He only gets half a pxxe has no ciboids; I have labelled each properly, and tied them all dozen others: I have labelled each properly, and tied them all together in a string. I saw today one of the little cubical ..ther in a string, and a rough little it has Ts the seals which you thought non-Hittite Ts the [5] snake [X] got & 5 stroke man [*]: thin, and [A'] in a rough Greek lettering on the four sides: [*] .L.