Memoir of the Career of Thomas Edward Rogers [‎23r] (45/118)

22
We now turned to such matters as informing the Persians about the war -
hitherto they had listened mainly to Axis broadcasts. News bulletins in Persian
were put out and a reading room set up. I thought the long-civilised descendants
of Darius would be clubbable men, readier to be enlightened by war reports
improved by a glass of araq or wine. Most Persians I met attended less to the
stricter versions of the Prophet's words on alcohol than to Omar Khayyam's
"Come, fill the Cup"; and Omar's influence in Bushire had its own lively witness
in the bibulous cook of our Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. known to a wide circle as "Khayyam". His
tippling was a serious hazard at formal parties where, however, the Resident
could not do without his irreplaceable skills. At times the service from the
kitchen slowed and even stopped until his assistant in desperation eased him aside
like a stuck gramophone needle and the music of dinner started up again to our
immense relief. But I could not draw more disciplnw to him in the reading room.
. '
Lack of funds contrived to keep it strictly functional. Bushire, unless warmed
KCi* 1 —X
at some nearby tavern, had to read our newohce^-s cold.
We showed war films locally and in the hinterland from a van. This also
became at times a mobile surgery run by the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. medical officer with me as
barker and interpreter as far as my command of Persian, begun in London in my ICS
probationary year, sufficed. Once the surgery broke down and neither the physician
nor I could heal it. As we were far away from Bushire I had to walk some
miles in noon heat to get help and had my first memorable experience of drinking
water after real thirst. Increasingly as the occupation imposed an obligation on
the British side to make good shortages in Persian food supplies, we became obliged
to have contacts with the headmen of tribes such as the Dashtis and Tangistanis,
who were clients of the more important Qashqais, and with the local authorities.
These did not often have the personnel, the transport or the authority (given the
wariness between the central government and the would-be independent tribes who were
also cut off geographically) to work effectively with tribal headmen. So one or