مجموعة ٦/ ٦٥ "العلاقات بين المملكة العربية السعودية واليمن". [و‎‎٥‎٤] (٩١٧/١٠٧)

*EgE»DIX HOU TO S« Q«R. S« S« JO. 74/21/10 of 1st Au^uat, 1934
HEHHY PE MOK^REID VISITS UOTMIVk.
HENHY DE MOKF^II) sailed into HODEIDA. roads on the
late afternoon of 30th June, and anchored close in shore.
He was aimply attired, viz;- in a loin cloth. The weather
had been sufficiently rough to justify the hire of a dhow by
some of the warships in preference to risking the ship’s
motor boat, but in spite of the conditions, this remarkable
man launched his tiny "houri”, and disdaining the ordinary
landing place, was propelled by two of his crew through the
surf to the beach. I then lost sight of him temporarily,
but met him on one or two occasions later, and also went on
board his sailing craft - the "JPAT EL RAHMAJJ”.
2. The latter may be described as a conrerted dhow,
rigged as a cutter, of about 30 tons. There is an after
"cabin”; a tiny auxiliary engine which produces about three
knots and current for a diminutive bulb over the desk in the
"cabin"; a space for "stores"; and crew space and a further
space for stores. The crew consists of six MNAKIL and I
have never seen a cleaner, or more happy looking lot of
natives. The "cabin" has a bunk on each side, and also a
small one athwart ships right aft. The bunks have no head
room and there is very little comfort. DE MONFRSID admitted
that he knew of no other European who would put up with
similar conditions. The crew live on "doura" bread baked on
red hot ashes in a cylindrical stone cooker. He eats rice
and macaroni which he cooks himself. Both he and the crew
supplement this diet by fish caught on passage. He carries
six rifles, one for each member of the crew, for, as he said,
though now a man of peace himself, were there not still the
2AHAHIK ? He carries a sextant and navigates by latitude,
run, and instinct•
3. As regards the purpose of his visit, he informed
me that he had come to write a descriptive article for
the Paris journals "L*INTRiUSSIQ'iliUlT" and "VUE" and would
remain at HODEIDA for just under 48 hours. In answer to
my suggestion that two days seemed a very short time in
which to acquire a knowledge of a rather complicated
situation, he replied;- "Two days, and I have two eyes.
It is ample, since I shall only write about what I see
and not about what I am told".
4. He furthe r informed me that he had picked up
his old friend GHEIK ISSA ("SECKKTS OP THE BED SEA",
page 82 et seq.) at TAJOUBAH, on account of his knowledge
of the YEMEH, and had dropped him at MOCHA to try to arrange
a visit to the IMAM. I enquired after ABDI and he replied
that he was still working for him at his place near JIBOUTI,
but had become quite blind.
5. DE MONPBEID visited me in "HASTINGS”, wearing
his best suit and looking far from unpresentable. (I am
told by DE BADENS that in PARIS, where he now resides
normally, he has a house in the fashionable quarter, next
to that of the DUO DE YEN DOME, and is usually very smartly
dressed). I remarked that it was a curious reflection
that I, who in 1922 was endeavouring to frustrate his
wicked activities, should now be entertaining him in my
cabin. He replied;- "Les amitifts durables se fondent
dans la lutte", and then proceeded to write it on the fly
leaf of the book referred to in paragraph 4 above, a copy
of which had been given to me by the commander-in-chief,
Mediterranean, before leaving MALTA.