Memoirs of Meredith Worth [‎3v] (6/12)

6
told us that cargoes of contraband goods were being shipped from Porbander
and Bedi Bander ports to Cutch which was outside the Indian Customs Line,
and that from there they found their way up the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. eventually
reaching Germany. It was hard t© believe that the Jam Saheb , who was then
Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes, could have been a party to this trade.
But representations were mede to the Rulers concerned and the trade stopped
forthwith.
As a sequel it was thought that I would be a suitable person to be
Dewan of Cutch, provided that the Liaharaja agreed to invite me. I had no wish
to go to Cutch and I learned that the Maharaja had.been advised by the Jam
Saheb, who told me this later on, no^ to offer the post to me. So the
Maharaja and I had a most enjoyable half hour in the Taj Mahal Hotel in
Bombay discussing shikar in East Africa and India without any mention of the
Dewanship of Cutch.
One interesting small State which we visited was Vijayanagar,
populated mostly by aboriginal Bhils. The State was mostly jungle and
attractive hill country full of wild animals.The Bhils put on an interesting
show for our benefit. The boy archers were surprisingly accurate in their
shooting and the girls- dubbed the Bhil Beauty Chorus - were only too ready
£o show their charms as they danced and sang to the obvious embarrasment of
the Resident. Finally the fathers performed a most agile danse with their
sons standing on their shoulders. . , ,
At the end of my stay in Rajkot the Viceroy and Lady Linlithgow and
their staff descended on Kathiawar for a short tour. Planning for the visits
to the various States took some weeks as it meant consultation with the
Rulers on one hand and Viceregal Staff on the other. Everything went well. The
Rulers provided excellent hospitality and entertainment and Lord and uady
Linlithgow were kindness itself and made everything easy for us all. In xact
the last S&te visited was Bhavnagar which was 'dry 1 . We had all come prepared
with bottles hidden in our suitcases. Shortly after our arrival, however,
we were all summoned to the Palace allotted to the Viceroy to find that Lord
and Lady Linlithgow had set up a bar in the hall and were behind it serving
c Early in 1941 I was transferred to Mount Abu as Secretary to Sir
Arthur Lothian, Resident for Rajputana. Here my health rapidly recovered. It
; as a pleasure as well as excellent training to work for Sir Arthur who was
alwg^s kind and considerate and careful to see that his Secretary vao - I
in the picture.
Aimer-Merwara, though part of British India, was placed in our
jurisdiction as it was surrounded by Rajputana States. In Augus 194 we a
=rs fes s km.; su
“ £ 11 th. before th.» »oU
any trouble •