Coll 6/9 'Jeddah Reports Jany 1931–' [‎150v] (301/802)

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IV.— Miscellaneous.
275. The Saudi pilgrimage tariff for the 1936 Hajj was published, in its
Arabic and Malay versions, during the month. The various British Governments
interested are being informed of the charges that have this year been introduced.
Upon the dispersal of the 1935 pilgrimage the local Hajj Committee distributed
leaflets in which a reduction of 25 per cent, on all Saudi dues and transport
charges was promised. As far as transport charges in the Hejaz are concerned
the promise has been carried out, but a number of other items have now been
consolidated in one item, the charge levied slightly exceeding the aggregate of the
individual items now merged.
276. The customary press propaganda for the next Hajj is now in full spate.
A newspaper the Hajj is reported to have been founded at Delhi by Sheikh
Omar-al-Bastawi. Entirely misleading accounts of the medical organisation in
this country are often circulated in this propaganda, the truth being that
hospitals here are ludicrous caricatures of the normal institutions elsewhere, and
medical personnel and equipment are inadequate and inefficient to a degree.
277. The sloop H.M.S. Penzance (Commander E. C. Longsdon, R.N.),
visited Jedda in the morning of the 29th August, in response to an urgent call
to convey to hospital in Port Sudan the second translator of the Legation, who
was critically ill. She remained here about two hours.
278. Signor Odello, of whom much has been related in earlier paragraphs,
was joined towards the end of the month by a compatriot. Caro Caglieri, who is
to represent his chief in a business enterprise at Berbera, concerning which the
Governor of British Somaliland has raised no objections. This gentleman is
Signor Odello’s second associate, the first, Ilario Marinangeli, having already
been noticed at paragraph 245 of the last report.
279. The Italian Dr. Brunelli and his wife (paragraph 162 of the report
for May) left Jedda during the month after a disagreement with their Legation
over the terms of service on which the doctor conceived he had come to this
country. He was given short notice by the Charge d’Affaires to clear out
and went.
280. Dr. W. H. Storm of the American Mission at Bahrein arrived in
Jedda about the 22 nd from laif, where he had been for some weeks after crossing
Arabia via Riyadh.
281. Other travellers during the month have been M. Paul Klein (French),
and M. Georges Robert Naly (Swiss), who passed through Jedda at the
end of the month, proceeding via Port Sudan to Jibuti. A M. Julius B. Vago
(Hungarian) floated along from Addis Ababa, with a letter testifying to his
good character from the Seventh Day Adventist Mission at that place, which he
hoped might help him into a job with Mr. TwitchelTs Saudi Arabian Mining
Syndicate. He is still about somewhere.
282. No report on this month of grace August 1935 would be complete
without a reference to the weather. Heat and humidity have remained at
unusually high levels; heavy clouds have lent oppressiveness to day and night;
for two days the world was enveloped in a mist which reduced visibility to half
a mile or less; a ship of the Ben Line vainly searched for Jedda for the whole
of a day and pilots from shore were equally unable to find the ship; two other
days were enlivened by sudden and severe sandstorms which left quantities of
desert on desks and in dossiers. One cannot altogether agree, whether politically
or climatically, with a member of the French consulate who described this month
as “la saison du calme.’’
283. The position as regards the manumission of slaves by the British
Legation was as follows :—
On hand at the beginning of the month : Nil.
Manumitted and repatriated : Nil.
Took refuge in August: Nil.
Locally manumitted : Nil.
Left voluntarily : Nil.
On hand at the end of the month : Nil.
One female took refuge in the Legation for a few days, but, it becoming
quickly apparent that she was not a slave, she left voluntarily with her husband.
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