'A Grandfather's Tale: Memoirs being mainly concerned with service in the Indian Army and the Indian Political Service in India and the Persian Gulf from 1932-1947' [‎48r] (95/118)

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I had hoped to get the family off to Shiraz, via Bushire, early in
July, as by then,despite the Bharra, it was getting very hot and sticky, up
to 117° one day, and still about 90° at midnight. The ordinary Gulf Mail
Steamer, however, did not touch at any Persian Ports, and the Slow Mail, to
make up for this, stopped at so many odd places to deposit or pick up cargo
and passengers that one never knew when it was going to arrive at Bahrain.
Eventually, after about ten days of uncertainty, it came on the 21st July, and
left on the 18 hour journey to Bushire the next day with Jane and the children
on board. I had a wireless message a few days later to say that they nad
safely arrived in Shiraz. There was no hope of a letter for weeks as there
was no air link with Persia and the slow mail only called there once or twice
a month.
Colonel Galloway left for England by air on the 25th July and I was
appointed as officiating Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in his absence and moved into the
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , and Hudson, recently appointed as Political Ofiicer on the Trucial
Coast, came over to act as my A.P.A. He had only arrived from his Regiment
in Burma two months before » and although a very nice person, was completely
untrained as a Political Officer. Colonel Hay, still a grass widower, was also
living in the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. so we had a fairly full house.
The Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , now had his H.Qrs. afloat,
though Jufair was still retained as the Naval base, and the sloops continued
to call in from time to time. About this time I wrote, '’The Sheikh had a
big dinner party the other night which the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. and I attended.
It was really in honour of the Navy, and they much enjoyed it, thougn rhey
found eating food in Arab fashion a little difficult. You may use only your
right hand, whether coping with a young sucking camel, a sheep, chicken, rice
or anything else." By that time I was fairly experienced at this son of thing,
and had so far escaped having a sheep's eye offered to me as a special delicacy.
I must say, however, that Ar a b food was extremely good on the whole, the only
trouble being the immense amount one was expected to consume.
Unfortunately, the air-conditioning units in the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , which were
never very efficient, entirely ceased to function just when I got there, so
I took to sleeping on the roof under a mosquito net, with a table fan han y.
Up there one also had the advantage of any breeze there might e,
being confined below in a stuffy room.
By mid-August X had had four letters from Jane, three by the Down Hail
on the 9 th, and a fourth by an odd ship which came across on. •
a fairly tiring journey they had got to Shiraz and wore 3 ay in S ^ chan
Hesidency Compound with Bunty Pettigrew, Simon and Jill. ^
(Consul) was still down in Bushire, but was due to hea^efore
children, Elizabeth in particular, and Jane, had had bad pricey heat bef
they left Bahrain but the cool air of Shiraz soon cured ^
for it in Bahrain was to take a cold bath, with mercury tablets dissolved in
the water, several times a day. Although not an infallible cure, it • P
considerably. One also had to take salt tablets, which had a ilavour