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Hospital Ship ‘Dvanha’
NAS: GD486/187
Douglas’s drawing of foreign insects
NAS: GD486/107
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Colaba Hospital
Bombay
5 July 1916
Dear Mother
Here I am sitting on the veranda (3rd storey) looking out over green trees and red tiled hospital buildings to the sea which stretches away to the west and which I hope to cross sometime soon, though the exact date is not fixed. Nobody here is in any hurry, so when I feel a little stronger I shall have to get busy pulling strings. The jaundice is quite gone now though my face and neck are still a horrid colour – dirty yellowish brown.
We had a glorious voyage here in His Majesty’s Hospital Ship “Dvanha”, a P&O boat. Such a comfort to get ice and full sized baths again. I enjoyed it thoroughly and felt quite well but have had some sort of relapse since and am now pretty weak. However I got as far as the town yesterday and did a little shopping.
My eyesight is a bit strained and I daren’t read much on account of violent headaches so am rather at a loose end. I think I shall wait till I get home to get tested as the expert here has gone to Mesopotamia.
The all-pervading green is a great feature of the scenery here and very restful. The damp salt sea breezes are delightful, but although people here are rather complaining of the heat, I being now a thin-blooded Mesopotamian feel it a bit chilly at times. The mail does not go till Saturday so I shall leave this letter open till then and add any news that may come along in the meantime.
Very much love to all
Douglas
7th July
No farther news. They are going to test my blood today. I expect they’ll find it full of all sorts of bugs they’ve never seen before. It’s the usual thing in Mesopotamia.
Much Love
D.
NAS: GD486/111
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