Locomotion

14th june - The post came today with such fabulous news, am packing immediately and have sent for the fast steamer. It will be days before I am back in England, I just hope that I will not bee too late. It will be a relief to be out of this damnable Egyptian heat for some cooler British weather!

PS. Got that feeling I was being followed today and found this curse in my wallet - hope its not a portent of whats to come.

The note reads 'I curse you with toothache when you smile'

18th June - The steamer ran aground and we are so delayed I am beside myself with worry. I know that word was sent to me immediately on the discovery but that would have taken 10 days at least to arrive and now here I am nearly in week three and still I've not yet set foot back on British soil.

PS Caught my reflection in one of the portside windows and I am sure 'the shadow' was there, I thought I had managed to give him the slip!

I found this curse in my steamer cabin too, it reads 'I curse you with salt in the sugar pot.'

20th June - Back in Blighty at last and I have left all my belongings on the harbour jetty with instructions for their forwarding. I must make haste to the west as fast as I can, so much time has already been lost at sea, who knows what travesties have befallen the treasures from ignorant robbers.

PS Left a little treat for Mr Shadow in one of the cases, a test to see how dedicated he is on tracking me. He'll get a surprise when he opens the wooden case - I've set my camera to take a snap with the flash on full!

Also, I found this card in my pocket which I didn't put there, it reads 'I curse you with a house key dropped down the drain.'

(Note - double close the latch on the direction lock to clear settings)

Directions

Start at Ringwood and head north to Salisbury

21st June - I have blisters on my ribs and by back just from the carriage ride, and I've paid double to fee plus tipped the drivers but still we dally, delay and wallow along these infernal muddy hallow ways. Some are so deep the trees close over head and it is as if we are actually entering the underland itself.

I haven't eaten for days so anxious am I to be at the site now. All my chemicals and lenses are prepared ( and well stirred too !) I will still need to paste up the glass plates and draw up journal notes.

PS Think I've finally given my shadow the slip, he watched me catch the 8.32 to Nottingham, but I craftily clambered out the other door of the carriage. Clever me! I did notice that his moustache was ruffled, I think my camera surprise actually caught him!

Also found this in my hat band 'I curse you with inheriting a left handed piano.'

28th June - Porlock Hill, I have been dreaming of this ascent, I have been what feels like perpetual transit for the best part of a month and now my quarry is nearly insight. I am bursting with anticipation as to what we will actually find - if anything.

Also, word was waiting for me at Bridgwater that the site is sealed and locked down. There is a good man guarding the entrance who has been paid well already, he is promised that he will see the same fee again if the site remains untouched. We shall see if he is trustworthy or not soon enough.

PS The journey has been so slow and with the half day when the wheel of the carriage came off, I fear my shadow may have caught my trail again as a team of horses ploughed by in the dark last night. Also the cases I left at the port never made it to my lodgings, so I was right and my pursuers have some power at their elbow.

I must be careful and so looking forward to sharing all this with you. Also found this on the carriage seat this morning, it reads 'I curse you with perpetual damp socks.'

30th - I cannot begin to tell you all which has transpired. The guard was as good as his word, the site as pristine as can be, I know not what will be eventually garnered by my slides (which I have taken many). But inside the tomb there are remains of twin newborn children, a boy and a girl lying on their mothers chest and cradled in her arms. They lie upon a nest of almost two dozen wings like angels!

The grave is so old but the beauty and care passes down through the ages, whoever placed them in the ground must have dearly loved them. I am making loads of journal notes and taking slides the best I can to document every detail.

PS The clouds have gathered in the east this evening and the locals are getting uncomfortable about what we are doing in the tomb. I assure them daily but I fear that my guards (now three) will not be enough to quash the rising despair.

I've also sent slides on already with some journal notes but then on my tent flap I found this note 'I curse you with waking yourself up through snoring.'

31th - Oh joy of joys, I cannot begin to explain the wonders I have seen, inside the tomb, beneath the boy and mother, beneath the birds wings and the willow rushes we found beakers sealed with god knows what inside, a hoard of coins and a long flat blade of bronze as well as a copper shield made with thousands of tiny rivets. The wood handle or hilt of the bronze sword is long rotted and gone but there is an ivory button or tooth still remaining which has a boars head beautifully carved.

But the most brilliant thing is the ring on the finger of the woman, was she a queen?

Nothing like this has ever been found before, and it is all so fresh. Thankfully I have captured it all on camera and been making more journal notes which I have sent back to my lodgings - although the last batch seems not to have arrived, I am hoping it is not the return of my shadow.

So send for champagne we must celebrate and see you on the platform.

PS I will get the last batch of slides posted off to the society immediately. This is an incredible moment and these finds will change our understanding of our ancestors for ever.

Also this was in my porridge this morning, it was a note which read 'I curse you with all your future boiled eggs have a beak inside.'

18th July - The villagers have been, I saw the fire from my tent this morning but I am too late, the tomb is wrecked and all the treasures inside are incinerated! It is too awful to comprehend, but worse still as I ran to stop the inferno my parcels of slides and detailed notes were snatched and those too cast into the flames.

But it was him, the ringleader who has been following me all the way from Egypt, my shadow! it was he who lead the villagers and provided them with fuel, it was he who snatched my satchel from my shoulder and threw my journals into the pit.

Why I do not know, perhaps I will never know.

All I could do was run, I was in such fear for my life.

So all there is left now is my word and I doubt that counts for much.

I will see you on the platform on the 3.15 unless I am properly silenced!!

Love Uncle Kit

PS '914' for the bottle opener and the last piece of treasure I slipped into my pocket from the trove before the incident. It is now yours.