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year, but has not yet been completed. An oil tanker of 9,000 tons was enabled
by these facilities to discharge at the pipe-line which can be run out from the
syndicate’s pier. The operations of the Banque Misr were also continued, and by
the end of the year the dredging of the channel for small craft was nearly
finished.
266. At Ras Tanura, on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (see paragraph 144), a deep-water
channel to the shore has been buoyed with the assistance of His Majesty’s navy.
The California Arabian Standard Oil Company have in operation a small pier at
A1 Khubar on the mainland just opposite Bahrein island, to serve the oil-field
at Damman, which is close by.
XIII.— Miscellaneous.
267. Apart from the Athlone visit (paragraph 118), Jedda received a
number of visits from non-Moslems during the year under review. Among them
were :—
Lord Belhaven and Stenton, who as Major Hamilton of the Indian
Political Service visited Ibn Saud at Riyadh in 1917. The King gave a
dinner party for him at Shumaisi and was obviously touched to meet an old
friend.
M. Golet, a former Dutch consul in Jedda, who revisited the town to
revise a collection of Arabic stories he had made during his term of service
here.
The late Signor Carlo Alphonso Nallino, the distinguished Italian
orientalist and editor of the Oriente Moderno. Advantage was taken of
friendly relations established with him to point out some inaccuracies in
reference to British affairs in his review.
Lieutenant D. R. W. G. Charlton, of the 8th Hussars, who visited Jedda
as a guest of Mr. Philby.
Mr. Howard Jones, who was the first Office of Works architect ever to
visit Jedda. He managed in the course of three days to examine all the
properties which are rented for official purposes and to make many valuable
suggestions. The half, he implied, had not been told him.
Mr. Charles Wills, of Messrs. Gray, MacKenzie and Co. (paragraph 144).
268. The Indian Vice-Consul paid a visit to Medina in March. This was
the first time for many years that Medina had been visited by an official represen
tative of His Majesty’s Legation. Much useful information was obtained about
the state of the road, the needs of the Indian community in Medina, the ways of
destitute Indian pilgrims and other matters of importance.
269. An Indian chauffeur who had been, and perhaps still was, in the
service of the King came to the legation in May and said that he wished to become
a Christian. The enquiry, which was fended off with discretion, appeared to be
quite genuine.