On balancing a week of Egypt against a week of Malta I could not do it so I put back to this steamer again and here I am.

Tomorrow we reach Brindisi and we have already passed Sicily and had a glimpse of the toe of Italy and it is the coldest sunny Italy that I ever imagined.

I am bitterly disappointed about Tunis.

I have no letters to big people in Cairo only subalterns but I shall probably get along.

I always manage somehow with my "artful little Ikey ways." It was most gratifying to mark my return to this boat.