T
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1957.
The Air-Conditioned
Harem
NO FANTASY THIS
-IT'S REAL-AND VERY
HIS is the story of Zaid. The story of what goes on inside the palace of # fairly typical oli-rich shick, 1957-and inside the harem within.
And i ly
IN story with a lesson-how the "Amb regards his womenfolk, Understand this, and o persistence of slavery is no great surprise,
Zaid, for 13 years the harm ballboy-cum-walter, told me the
knowing ho story
could ba executed for it. He got
Asabla for good the night wo met.
out of
Names are changed,
It was part of my deal with Zaid,
But Zald's sheik is not quito unknown to me. I caught sight of him sitting cross-legged in his convertible Lincoln on his
on ory
MUCH OF 1957
recording machine unsuitable for sitting on. So we sit on the carpet or rather, El Rarib and 1 sit, and Zaid squats and looks nl the carpet,
I put tho recording machine on to "play back," to prevent eavesdropping. It is a 20-minute dape of un Arab love song. Before
wo ATO through, wo have played the tape Ave times. "I was working in a enfe in Beirut in 1943. I was boven,
Mr father
was dond."
Zald
speaking, Acase, deliberately looking away from me. "Shelk Mahmoud spent his gununers lo como to the cafe. in Lebanon even them, and used
1
By Tom Stacey
Mahmoud did not like a slave front of the serving him in foreign visitors."
THE EXPLORER-WRITER CONTINUES HIS ADVENTURE STORY WIth a MODERN MESSAGE
lot "The European woman had harem girls clearly thinic red hair," Zafd stays. "She was of the boss even if they do not white, but she used to brown come in for a Sociailst equality ter sin by bathing naked in type of life. "I was happy," ho the palace swimming pool."
repeats dully.
year Shade
The palace, with the coming The Arab love song finishes time. Zald is Tentatively the Arst questions of the all, was rebuilt on a for the fourth are put about the harem. Zald lavish scale. Hot water, showers nervously ripping up paper, Ho
"Half the for the shell, modem European says: says: "Yes, after six months I bedroom suites. No more sleep Mahmoud is away. The main- began serving in the barem too, ing on the floor. (I saw it my louks (harem women) would They said that if I talked........'
He looks, back at the carpet self, outside a sprawling affair grow restless...."
of white concrete blocks, As the glass and puts
asido u-
usual, alt the windows face NOT A WORD Anished. The intestinal Arab
inwards.) from music
4210 recording
given machine fills the gap-but this is a moment to pass over quick
ly. He says: "I kissed the slave girl on the mouth."
A BEATING®
PHIS slave girl who smuggled
Zald's girl friend was
she had been given to another to another sheik. He heard later
man as a wife.
the last
Zaid, I think, is sweating also BY
DY now wa are all sweating in the stifling pink room.
with fear.
I served out his money, was his first gifts from other sheiks. Slaves secrclary told
mam-
The palace staff changed pretty
At last he volunteers a sen~ often. Eleven male domestic
wero tencebia only unprompted con- slaves and 15 females brought into the palace during tribution. "Que of the
five years,
mainly louka put her eyes on me, The "Ilo Eked the way
ime to
get out him and told tals 'secretary'
would have my from Qatar, Muscat, Oman, and and that customary Lebaneso holiday (procurar) to bring to love. She was a domestic, not a Baluchistan. But the sinves born tongue cut out or be kiled if
230 (the kind of holiday, I may Arabia,
concubine, from Qalar, to the
In the palace usually stayed. ever I spoke about the palace" say, which makes the relaxa
south. But she never told him
As he
Zaid got
He will not say a word more. grew up, tions
"The secretary brought me by how sho came to be a slave of Henry VIII look lika
three
or four of the palace say goodbye to him at the Charles Suet
because she and train and sea. I was
was "oshamed." evening car
steps in the not given
passport. My Probably she had been sold by servant girls punished for neck foot of the mud
ing in tho
I wish him washroom, They bright moonlight. mother was pleased because of her parents,
were beaten, then given a spell good luck in his escape from the tho money...I was Pald
Her job Way to look after of solitary confinement a six- country which he belloves this riyals (about £6) a month.”
спо of the concubines by-four-feet punishment rooms interview has made necessary, "European" woman. Zuud can- on a rice and soup diet,
He s will not look at me. A KISS
not say which European coun-
(COPYRIGHT) try this woman came from, or the was a Christian. (In fact she may well have started off as a Greek show girl in Beirut,) The other girls in the hareni were Arabs or Negresses,
off).
ROOFTOP
AID was waiting for
rooftop A
Ent Damm
small port on the Persian Gulf coast,
a
E speaks hesitantly, in H
voice which As I climb the sleep mud high, weak steps, open to the night sky, matches his face. He volunteers and first see him leaning against nothing, still in a slow with fear. "I don't remember if I the parapet of the flat rooflʊD rendezvous, he puts me in mind was and or cried," he says. lie
nover looks at me.
of some Caribbean donteur.
He is a lithe, barefoot fellow in multi-coloured shirt surrow blue cotton jeans, far too short for him. A Lebanese,
but darker than average.
Tho go-between hat given wishes — a and him against my
and whisky tumbler of beer mixed, Zaid's first alcohol over.
Ha pecond words to me are: They will cut out my tongue or kill me if they know I speak
I feel about this."
an unusual
But it
Interview coming up.
It is nearly midnight. 19 still a
a triflo too public up here. One or two other shadowy Atabs are taking the night air on neighbouring rooftops,
ilo is 21.
He says, "When I first went there it was very hot. The palace was of mud with a high mud wall round it. It was alwars crumbling in the rains,
Lo
До
"I used to get the money out to my mother through palace slave girl who got it
a Lebanero family in town.
*I could not spend the money except through à secretary, The
Once a Negro sinvo Was caught borrowing some of tho master's whisky. He was beaten, and inter died from the thrash Ing.
But on the whole, Zaid insists It was
a happy pince. The
Next Saturday: MEET A SLAVE TRADER
Island paradises: No income tax meat
newspaper that cost two potatoes a copy.
OLD
FOR
HAREM
NERS
D Zaid given
BELL BOX
the following details of the
. Mahmoud Harem (they probably
so for many others).
The sheik keeps an average of two wires and nias condu bines, Heavy turnover of both varieties, divórcing a wife belog as easy an soiling a concubine."
No practical difference be tween a wife and a concubine, except that A particularly presentable wife sometimes goes to Beirut with the boss,
● Price of a Grade A concubine anything up to £2,000. For m wife the sky's the tlmis,
A lady gone to seed is usually Installed in a nice house with couple of servants (and her daughters) to look after her,
In she barem each wito and concubine has her own als condiitened room, destrably furnished with anfa, bed, and wardrobe. Each has a sele phone couarcted only with the sheik's rooiu, So when the Instrument rings one tends to know who it is likely to be.
The big craze in harem bed- wear? Chiltott. WIT
call the site
THE
William Hickey
I'm
COLUMN
Going to Shout About England...
London fast in the small pubs around
WAS talking
for
to Covent Garden which
certain people ́still seems tha (rather fedlõus) thing to do
Nancy, Lady Astor and she apologised for her hat-mink, and in the ments is to spend an evening at
One of her favourite enjoyi
now-popular Cossack style. home, reading--modern novels
"Forgive me," she said. and the classier, "It makes me look like a She lives drunken Hussar."
hat
Sho
a concert of classical music. She like horTO-
likes riding. - I thought that was
parties... pretty good, coming from teetotal amall, not-too-nolay, parties,
Sho can (Actually the
appreciato rock 'n' Nancy,
roll music. I have beard her sulfed her.)
talking together ask for such tunes as "Soo You before she left in the liner Later, Alligator.”
for tho Bahamas, Caronia Later, sho la going to New York and Virginia.
We wero
SO RIGHT you know, Mr
CHE has
HER FRIENDS
plenty
of
men
friends:
There is Bhann
Plunket,
brother of Loed
Hickey" Plunket, Deputy Master of the
European clothes inside
said, digging her fork into Queen's Household. the palace, including silk stock:her caviar, "Rab Butler was so ingy.
told
leavily marked outside right the other day when
that Britain needs old you officer,
There is Julian Watson, mort
he popular with this year's deba.
a And there is Robin Douglas
af courir.) Pyjamas out. ✪ An overlooked girl may bribe | first-class pubile relations Heme, nephew of Lord Home,
with triakcis to a secretary drop a lot to the boss how pretty he is looking nowadays.
Jealousy among the girts la strictly aui, so far as the busa roncerned. But there does tend to be a bit of the old remem ber the school's · good-name Doris it one of them starts monopolling a male servant.
Barem always bounding with children. Boys stay up to seven, g`ris until marriage
fourpence a pound
and a These outposts in the oceans
are hitting the headlines as key-points in a remarkable Royal Tour
THE
DUKE "DROPS IN'
tho
N
EVER in the history
of the British Em- pire and Common-
By Donald McCormick
Ahe Minister of Commonwealth tell Relations
Someone is needed to the world that Britain is not, nover has been, and, please
will. be, second God, never rato Power.
"Britain Is Second to none, tho And I am going to tell Americans 80, over radio and television.
"I am the only woman in the world who can praise Brilain
born.
up to the hit and get дуру with it among Americans,
"For one thing. I was in Virginia, and Virginia is one of the few States in America which
won't hear n word against Britain,"
was
itg
Omeroving Public
She can enjoy the late-night life-in small measure, But most of all, I think, she enjoys her "oficina duties," the opening of exhibitions, and so on.
Not a "gay" time, perhaps. But a happy time.
THE REFUGEE
A
RUSSIAN war bride, Mes Norah Murray, now living happily in Hampstead, told me this story....I found it most moving,
Mrs Murray want to Victoria Station to see if she could be of help to refugees who were arriving from Hungary.
•
SO SURE ASKED Lady Astor what she thought of Britain's attitude
For one woman she ordered a over Suez.
taxl. As the refugeo got in sho Sho
Hussar hat turned to patted her
Mrs Murray and more firmly over her forehead asked: "And where are you. and sald: "Of course, Britain from?".
right. American people so, This island, together with the
"Now, it
only the British In- neighbouring Nightingale, accessible and Gough landa, Government would appoint me Relations forms A inale servants were not allowed wealth has royalty paid True, the development of gulde-book to Norfolk Island it
dependency of Helenn, best rememberedt *19 out. I never wont outside the auch assiduous attention to speedy air travel and the says: To people with small Napoleon's last place of exile. An excellent Idea....
alaxo ground for 13 yeah the the forgotten outposts as improvement in communica offers an ideal home, and many landed and formally annexed Bahamas "I am going to relax,
settled incones Norfolk Island
Lady Astor, 77 years old, will small British garrison
spend two months in the 100-watt bulb. Pink walls. No palace were slaves except me. I during this New Elizabethan tions generally has made such from the United Kingdom Tristan da Cunha in 1816.
paid because Sheik Age.
this possible. But at the and other parts of the Empire
*****play golf, and awim,""" she said, Karrison was withdrawn, but same time much of the already reside in the territory; three men, headed by ono **** credit must go to the in- The cost of living is low and Corporal William Glass, elected BOOK-ENDS: £200 quiring, questing and seem-
to remain and became the foun ingly tireless Duke of Edin- burgh.
So I lake Zuid, and my bluck- bearded interpreter EI
Rarib, into the small windowless mud room at one corner of the roof- top, and lock the door,
Electriat light in here—a bald,
furniture, apart from a German was
FLOATING DIAL.
years.
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there is no income tax."
the Bounty close links with mutineers, has a climate similar
The
un-
I shall tell the Mrs Murray. paused for
Then: moment,
"I am Russian," she said.
The refugeo folnted.
NEW NUDE
CHANGED; the nude part of Noel Coward's new play The play "Nudo With Violin." is named after
painting which in the story-is SAD- posed to be the work of a 14- year-old boy.
Norfolk Island, which has ders of the present settlement. JOHN SPENCER CHURCHILL
artist nephew of Bir Winston, But the realism of the nuda Morale Boost way telling me about a pair shocked Dublin theatregoers on
of book-ends that he is the play's pre-London run. It is the Duke who has to Madeira. It is administeresi
the House of always
Since then the islanders have designing for insisted that in by Australia, and the Islanders
Assembly in the Bahamas. They So Mr Coward, who had done planning royal tours the English aral Tahitian,
are a mixture of West Country existed largely on potatoes, so will cost about £200.
and Unlike meat
the painting himself, comisio- penguins And
It the island's
seemed on
stage designer astonishing sloned
Paul outposts must not be for many of these outposts It boasts potatoes are
Whon the amount,
He said: "They will Abaten to do a new one the one gotten.
currency. two golf clubs, several tennis official
bo 10-inch long carved in a tow used at London's Globe the and croquet clubs, a hospital and Royal Navy brought out some good hotels.
newspaper Triston Times, in Wood called ramin-the hardest theatre. World War II It was sold for two of the soft woods-and
gold-leated.
This time the nude is green, potatoes a copy.
"The lions will be looking the violin purple. Anti-realists Today, administered from back at their tails, South Africa, this outpost has it would be rather a
I thought should not object. crawfish canning industry.
It's
change peeTISTS from lions looking sideways."
RECORDED AND.
Whenever a royal tour in planned he supervises It per- sonally, scanning the map for those tiny, almost invisible dots of red that may lle on or near the route he is taking.
Thus, when he agreed to go to Australia 10 open the Olymple Games, the Duke turn-
Chief Problem
A royal visit to the Falkland Islands should do a power of n dollar-earning industry at good to a population of only 2,300 that!
about one person, to every two
then
{
ed the trip into what amounts square miles for the Falidands St Helena has this year had a ANOTHER plece of furniture: DOWN-TO-EARTH story told
The colony exports meat. But
Mr Kenneth' Lindsay, proudly, the Victoria and to an Operation Outposts, In have lived ever since the war brand new constitution which Albert Museum announced it 59-year-old one-time Civil Lord December he flew to far-off under the shadow of threats provides for an executivo and has acquired a
of the Admiralty, at a “psychic which piece Norfolk Island. Later he sail from the Argentine and Chile, advisory council to the Governor. "lowes much to the French terary luncheon" in Kensing ed aboard the Britannia for the The Falkianders are entirely Last your 90
percent
of the Boulle tradition....gilt brass..
ton:- Chatham Islands, the Deception white and mostly Scottish. colony's exports-mainly Abro, Dola acanthus-lear mouldings Islands, Graham Land tha
tow and rope-went to Britain
A Chicago paychiatrist went Falkland Islands, Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena and Ascen-
his patient talking into alon Island
recorder. A few minutes inter tho patient sat down beside him, explained: "The last five doctors I've seen had recorders. Now I've bought my own. I've lett my recorder talking to your recorder."
'BLUFFINC'
Neat Job
The answar
As a morale booster the in the eclectiam characteristic out for a cup of coffee, leaving there is so much of it that in portance of the Duke's visits to of Regency furniture,"
What, indeed, is this splèndid pre-war days 150,000 carcases these outposts is of inestimable piece? It i a Regency of sheep wero left on the beaches value. Small as they are, in
A commode. and fields to rot each year. Even peace and in war they play a today it costs on an average vital role in maintaining com-
munications. The group around QUIET PRINCESS This part of the Duke's trip about 4d. a pound!
St Helena were of some strategic no sinecure, no neatly time-tabled Job.
The colony's chief problems importance in World War II-WHY are we hearing so little It is an education. Teachers argar sumclent for the Navy to set up these days?
of Princess Alexandra adventure with a time-table at
gently needed, and it isn't easy a base there, the mercy of rough SCLE,
to persuade them to come to this
simply: the Princess is a quiet blizzards in the Antarctic
and
What may be a forgotten out girl who likes a quiet life. the risks of landing on surf bicak land on the edge of the
A fairly Antarctic. Promising pupils are post today can tomorrow quite
quiet life, that is. A showed me a letter from lassed beaches,
rent at the Government's ex- easily be a key base in the For the Princess, after all, -is
at fluctuating struggle
received from between 20 (on Christmas Day), and Australia These autposts rarely hit the pense to headlines. Yet they all have Monte Vidco, 1,070 miles away, East and West. Within
Moynihan stirring tales to tell of pioneer Teachers ride on horseback from years the two Poles have bx life for any girl of that age is wandering
But she has stood well aloof administrators, in came Colonial farm to farm, giving lessons on coms more important strategi exciting thing.
cally. In the Far North Canada's from the more eccentric partice from the dressing-room of the The young Moynihan, writing Omoo nominees live for more routo,
nealing Islands keep a day being given by the
"rock 'n' than a year without fresh meat or vegetables, without doctor Londly Tristan da Cunha in and-night radar watch. Now roll set which now seems to Tivoli Theatre in Sydney, where or dentist, cut off from the the South Atlantic has only had that Russia has announced her dominate the younger members he is doing a rock n' roll turn, world
a post office in the last two "claims" to Antarctic territory, of what once used to be called "For the paltry sum of £75 a week I am bluting the Even this is merely the Falklands may fulfil a Society.
Australians nightly. But some of these outposts corner of the verandah of the similar. zale:
She has never driven on trom could rate as paradise. In the Administrator's bungalow.
years,
a British school
MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN
WHY NOT MAKE USTAWE WANT. INVISIBLE THEN THEM TO SEE EREMY FELLAB US-AND WON'T SEE WS FOLLOW US. WERE THE DECCYBI
THESE ARE PHÒNY PLANS, THE REAL ONES ARE CARRIED BYA GOVERNMENT AGENT. WE WANT THEM TO FOLLOW US-NOTHING-
...
(COPYRIGHTS
WHO IS REAL AGENT WITH : REAL PLANS,
a party to have 5 am, break-
By Lee Falk and Phil Davis
SECRET. I HAVEN'T THE SLIGHTEST IDEA.HMM-WE GET A CAR HERE INTO THE PESERT
THERE THEY AREY HE HAS THE PLANS, THIS MAY BE OUR LAST CHANCE TO GET
THEME
FRIEND of Tony Moynihan
301
(COPYRIGHT)
this
Lord
than wor FRYS
CRYSTALISED
·AINGER
* COVEREDIN
FRYS CHOCOLATE