T. E. Lawrence to C. M. Doughty

Colonial Office

13.6.21.

Dear Mr. Doughty,

I should have replied earlier, but I've been hoping to come down to see you, and have only just given up hope of it. There is too much to do here: Winston is going to make his speech in the house tomorrow, and when the trouble of that is over I will probably be sent to Jidda to see King Hussein. In that case I will try to steal a journey to Taif, and have a look at the country round about it.

Abdulla is in Trans-Jordan, carrying on a government there with our help, but without any formal appointment. Indeed he refused one, until his father had been consulted, and had approved. That was a polite way of saying never.

No, I'm afraid there is no blue-book of the Hejaz war, and probably will never be. We sent some reports back to Egypt, but they were kept secret, and are now buried somewhere among the records.

My friend Aubrey Herbert, a very splendid creature, has asked me to get your autograph to his copies of Arabia Deserta. One, that with Feisal's signature upon it, is for a wedding present to his brother. I'm sending them you by post, with two things of my own - the first sheet of the large-paper A.Ds. I’d be very much obliged if you would sign all four!

With apologies for troubling you,

yours sincerely

T E Lawrence