Coll 30/114 'Proceedings of H.M. Ships.' [‎244r] (487/1203)

*
Ib f n Abbas, on their way north, the same day.
X X X X
34. I sailed from Kamaran at 0630 3rd April, and
anchored in Hodieda roads at 1130, saluting the country witi
21 guns on doing so, the salute being promptly returned.
I subsequently learned from the local Political
Officer that WESTON's coming has not been notified from
Aden, and that the hope had been expressed by the Hodeida
authorities that such an omission would not become a habit.
Through-out the visit the wind was Southerly and
fresh, with a moderate sea, and communication with the
shorewwas conducted entirely by dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. .
35. Preliminaries having been arranged on arrival, I
landed, accompanied by two officers at 0900 4th April, and j
having inspected the guard and banc., and praised the latterif
really remarkable mastery of their brass instruments, callec
on His Excellency Saiyed Abdulla al Wazir Minister. , the Governor,
together with Mr. Saleh Ja’jfar, the British
Assistant Frontier Officer, His Excellency appears to be
very friendly, as apart from the usual exchange cf
conventional courtesies: he turned the conversation after a I
while to the Palestine situation, and after extolling the
virtues and ^rights” of the Palestinian Arabs at some
length, laid stress on the expectations which the Moslem
world entertained of Great Britain’s aoing justice to them.■
I have previously found this claim a difficult one to course
v/ithin the bounds of tact, add contented myself with
emphasising the great experience of the British in dealing
with Moslem peoples, the satisfaction of the great
majority of the latter who are under their rule, and the
very genuine axxiety of the Government to do justice to
all concerned. His Excellency thereupon remarked somewhat ,
pointedly that it might have unfortunate results in the
Moslem countries if the last-named result were not — in
their opinion - achieved.
In conversation with Mr. Saleh da*far and his
brother, Mr. Hussein da*far, now the local Political Clerk,
and with the resident agent of Messrs. Gellatlsr, Hankey &
Co., I gathered that Saiyed Abdulla al Wizar is fully
maintaining his influence and prestige as the principal
figure in the Yemen, after the Imam and the Crown Prince -
and possibly before the latter. It remains very hard to
say what his attitude towards external Powers would be in
the event of the Imam’s demise but there is no evidence of
his shewing himself unfriendly towards the British.
With reference to the recent call of the Italian
leader ”TIGBK‘* at Kamaran, it is perhaps noteworthy that it
is a long time since any Italian warship visited Hodeida.
My call on the Governor was returned on the morning
of 5th April by Kazi al Amri, his Secretary, who remained
on board about an hour ana a quarter, and was particularly
pleased by being shewn round the engine-room before
leaving. I understand that he is likely to be a principal
member of the suite of Prince Hussein at the Coronation:
he has been in Europe before - a great rarity among Yemen
Officials.
36. At. 1200 4th April the E.T.C. cable ship ’’LADY
DENISON PENDER” was heard asking Kamaran for assistance for
a case of suspectea tetanus, and was directed to close
WESTON, Kamaran having no anti-tetanus serum. She arrived
in Hodeida roads at 1500, and my medical officer proceeded
on board: the Indian patient, however proved to be an
advanced case of cerebral haemorrhage, and died at 1800.