BSY_FB_28-056

February Saturday 25 1905

Beirut. Left for Damascus on 7:00 A.M. train, arriving about 4:30 P.M.

The most beautiful R.R. ride I have ever taken. On the
top of the Lebanon we were in deep snow. It was a beautiful
clear day.

Feb 28th contd.

life. We were warm friends at once and compared notes very
enthusiastically talking about our trips and where we
had been. She was as crazy to see our inscriptions and photographs
as a school girl, did not have a bit of a swelled head or
pretend to know much herself but with all was a remarkably
intelligent woman a clear observer with good judgement and
well informed. She knew how to speak Arabic, French, German
her French & German being nearly perfect in pronounciation?
and very fluent. She said she hoped we would let her come
and see us again & if we didn't mind she would come again
in the afternoon for just a few minutes. We invited he? to come
for tea and she accepted like a flash and we parted like
brothers and sister. She came promptly accompanied by the
British consul, Mr. Richards who by the way is a polished
English gentlemen? of the first class and not at all the kind of
man one would expect to find stationed at Damascus.
He was intensely interested in our work and after tea he left
but she wanted to stay longer and so she did. One of us asked
if she would mind if he smoked and she said not at all

(Cont'd on opp. page)