File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎415r] (834/898)

The “ Khandama ” (formerly <l _ Parnassos ”) has been rechristened “ Raffhmatain, ,r
after two small hills in the Hedjaz. The name “ Khandama,” which is that of a
mountain larger than Radhwa, was given to the <£ Parnassos ” in the belief that she
was larger than the steamship “Radhwa” (formerly “Shushtar”). Having bought
1 “ Parnassos, they found it was about one-quarter the size.
. I understand that the “ Radhwa” has already been stripped of most of her pilgrim
fittings, and that, above all, she has no medical stores on board. This will^not
prevent her. being used for pilgrims She has sailed for Akaba and Suez, while the
Raghmatam lias made a trip to Suakin with pilgrims. Two years ago there was
trouble between the. Quarantine Board in Egypt and the Hedjaz authorities, because
the Hedjaz steamship Tawil went to Suez with more pilgrims than her capacity
warranted. this was smoothed over on the ground that the pilgrims had been carried
as an act of charity, but the Quarantine Board stated that in future the regulations
would have to be complied with. I warned the High Commissioner tor Egvpt and the
Oovemor at Poit Sudan that Hashimite steamers would be calling with pilgrims, and
that, as the object was simply to make money, there was no need to relax the
regulations. British pilgrims who travelled on the “Raghmatain” from Akaba to
Jed.dah complained that the first class bath-room, which they were entitled to use
as fitst class passengers, was kept locked, on the ground that tliere was no one to keep
it clean, and that throughout their three days’ journey the allowance of drinking water
was two or three small tumblers daily—say, a pint and a half, instead of the gallon
which is laid down by the convention as a maximum. I wrote to Mecca about this
shortage of drinking water, and, although I received no reply, tnere is reason to believe
that the protest, or the passengers’ complaints, or both, have had some effect. There
is as yet no certain news of the despatch of a Hashimite steamer to Basra. The
kaimakam, in his capacity as shipping agent, booked pilgrims for the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. on a
Bombay-Persia steamer, and, though until the last moment he was afraid he might be
stopped, he was able to get the ship away. The Hedjaz authorities are finding it more
difficult than they thought to run a fleet of steamers. The service is managed by a
clerk, who works under the orders of the Director-General of Customs, I have
myself seen the director-general, one of the busiest men in Jeddah, booking an order,
by telephone, for one passage to Akaba, and be sure it’s with food.
Ihe American journalists, about whom a warning was inserted in the February
report, did not, after all, go to Palestine and Irak, or some officials there might have
had reason to be grateful for my warning. Mr. Morrill is publishing a book entitled
“ Primrose Paths from Paris to Palmvra.” According to the prospectus, of which he
has been good enough to send me a copy, this book contains “ fascinating, unforgettable
pictures of the wild high life of Paris, .... Cairo, Alexandria . . . .” The author
“ chatted with courtesans, smugglers .... visited all Hie leading churches, cabarets
and houses of prostitution ; was an interested spectator at nude dances in Europe,
Asia and Africa . . . .” There has been “nothing like it in literature since the
vivacious, salacious travelogues of Sterne and Casanova.” One of the illustrations
shows that guileless official, the British agent at .Jeddah, photographed with a party at
Eve’s Tomb ; another, of which a copy is given in the prospectus, is a photograph of
one of Morrill’s lady friends in a costume which consists of a strip of cloth on her head
and a bangle on each ankle.
Temperature for June.
Temperature at 10 a.m.
Maximum.
Minimum.
Dry.
Wet.
O
O
0
Average
94
78-9
91*4
88-4
R. W. BULLARD,
Agent and Consul.
P.S.—The cause of the disagreement between King Hussein and the Egyptian
Amir-al-Hajj was this : The kiswah (covering for the Ka bah) had in one corner an
inscription saying that it was the gift of King Fuad, and King Hussein was silly
enough to cover up this inscription or, as some say, to cut it out. The Amir-al-Hajj
seems to have made a great scene, he and the King bellowing so loudly that what they