volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

Departure from Baghdad. 129
Baghdad, but there was no doubt that the Government
had lost control of the nomads and that whole flocks of
sheep were frequently carried away by them. Therefore
to return to Europe by the Tigris and Constantinople was
out of the question for us. Finally we decided to go to
Basrah by Messrs. Lynch' s steamer and take the British
India Mail Steamer to Bombay and return by P. & O.
steamer to Pljmiouth or London. The Delegate wished
to go to Basrah and to sail from there direct to Egypt,
where he could embark for Constantinople, but this
route, owing to the irregularity of merchant steamers at
that time of the year, would have prolonged our journey
many weeks. Whilst we were debating this proposal a
telegram arrived from Sir William Wbite who wished
his son to see Karachi and Bombay, and this settled
the matter. I was glad that he had decided thus, for
going to Bombay would enable me to travel the whole
way to England with my boxes of tablets and manuscripts.
I therefore left sufficient money with Colonel
Talbot to pay the Delegate's travelling expenses to
Stambul and two months' salary in addition to that of
the current month, and left him in Baghdad to make
his own arrangements for return there. On March 7th
White and I bade our most kind host and hostess goodbye,
and were sent in the Residency boat to the s.s.
" Khalifah " with all our belongings, including the
tablets and manuscripts. Many members of the little
British colony in Baghdad came to see us safely on
board, and the civility of the Customs' officials was in
marked contrast to their behaviour in the previous
year. It seemed to me that most Turkish rules and
regulations were specially made to be broken—on payment
by the breaker ! .
Captain Somerset weighed anchor at 6.30 a.m. on
March 8th, and the "Khalifah" nosed her way between
huge lighters and a couple of Turkish river steamers out
into the stream. A strong hot south wind was blowing,
but in spite of this we travelled at the rate of 11 knots
an hour until about 5.30 p.m. when we ran head on to
a shoal and stuck very fast. Whilst the crew were
k