"ملف 7/4 شؤون الطيران وسلاح الجوّ" [و‎‎٢‎٠‎٧] (٥٠٦/٤٢٦)

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5.
come back the next morning for another telle. They said I
would be welcomed, and we went back to the ship leaving
behind us a bag of rice as 'ground bait 1 .
8. Next morning I landed again at Uirm Rasas, and had
another meeting with the community. While on tte previous
evening the attitude of some of the Islanders had been
somewhat reserved they were now all extremely friendly,
but the Headmen gave the same reply as before. Without
stressing the matter unduly, which would merely have given
them an exaggerated idea of the importance of themselves
and their island, I did my best to talk them over, again
hinting that they would not be losers by the transaction,
but without success. They did not enquire how much we would
be prepared to give for the concession, and so I saw no
advantage - and some disadvantages - in coming down to the
details sanctioned in Air Offi. C e r Commanding , s telegram No.
Z.410 of 20th March.
9. Both Commander Startin and I agreed that friendly
relations with the local inhabitants would bs still
further advanced if they paid a return visit to the ship,
and on behalf of the Commander I issued an invitation to as
many as liked to come to visit the ship, where any of them
who required medical treatment would receive it. (I had
issued a similar invitation the previous' afternnom) Some
hesitated, but finally no one would come. I said that both
Commander Startin's and my feelings were,much hurt (1) by
this display of suspicion. Did they Imagine that after
drinking 'their cogfee and eating their dates we mre going
to lure them on board and then kidnap themt They protested
that no such thought had entered their heads, and some of
them informed me privately that the reason why they refused