Mss Eur F594/10/14

Content warning: The papers of Arthur Moore Bennett (1877-1950) contain his personal views and opinions, with explicit language and terminology which today are deemed unacceptable and offensive and may cause upset.

Typescript volume, without cover or content pages, covers the period 1937-1940. Describes Arthur Moore Bennett and Helen's life in Famagusta. Reflections on the global political situation and forebodings for the future. Comments on perceived ill-government of Cyprus, including taxation. Travel on the yacht Medea to Malta via Adalia [Antalya] Turkey. Description of Malta, including visits to The Norman House, and air raid practices. Return to Malta, and subsequent journey to Egypt. Comments on build up to War. From Port Said to Tewfik [Suez]. Helen escorts Mrs Baring Fisher in Egypt. Visit of Helen's brother Frater Latimer. Agrees to take Claude and Kitty Ruse (previously Kitty Koh Sing) to Goa, along with Mr and Mrs Moxey. Moxeys leave at Port Sudan. Description of the Massawa channel, including the marine life. Travel to Thio, Eritrea, and then Maalla, Aden, Yemen. Helen decides to leave. Kitty and Claude Ruse sue for their passage. Increase in prices in Aden due to declaration of War. Description of fish industry at Maalla. Moore Bennett's decision to leave Aden alone on the Medea but unsuccessful in attempt to leave the Gulf of Aden. Description of marine barnacles, sperm whales, rays and skate. Finally able to leave the Gulf of Aden. Need to repair fouling to propeller and rudder, so anchored on Somali coast near Makalla. Confrontation with local people, Mar 1940, and subsequent theft of Medea and its contents. Description of Gulf coast.

The volume is divided into sections: '1937 Chapter. Famagusta. The place and people. We take a house. Cyprus as it appeared to me. A closed Government. Censorship. What it means. Illness. I go to Paphos. Ramsi gets busy. Return to Famagusta and get ready to go'. '1938 Chapter. We leave. Arrival at Adalia. Turkish suspicions. The place. We leave. A misty trip. Rhodes, Scarpanto, Kaso, Crete. A calm. Etna from afar. We arrive in Malta. Valetta. Pilots. Officials. The town. The Yacht Club. The Navy. Everitt's friend. L'Medina. Norman House. Its amazing contents. Dicky Dines. Toc H. People. Things. Ramsi. Jenkins. Midnight'. '1938. Chapter. The return voyage. Famagusta again. We go up to see Gardiner's new house. Building extraordinary. Inez. Adoption. We leave for Egypt. Breakdown. Return. Finally get off. Baring Fisher. Port Said. Good food. Friends. We go through. Frogé's kindness. A winter in Twefik. Kitty writes. Frater comes at last. Christmas and New Years 1939'. '1939 Chapter. Suez to Shadwan. Moxeys ideas. Kitty shakes down well. Claude leans over a lot. A Near Thing. We pass the Brothers. Moxey forgets himself. Decides to leave. Wishes to go into Port Sudan. Calms. We go into the Port of Robbers and Moxeys pay the tolls and leave us. Cost of Sudan charges. We leave also after learning about Erithea [Eritrea]. Leave Port Sudan'. '1939. Chapter. The War is on. I volunteer. Get Medea ready for what might come. An appreciation of the situation as I saw it. I visit King Solomon's Ship yards and the Stinking fish Islands. The Parsee and the War. Framroze's road to fortune. The new Boom. Anti aircraft guns and search lights. Blackouts. Tank traps arrive by the ton. Barbed wire, bombs, new planes. Aden under war conditions. The hunt for houses. Medea ready. Nov 4 we leave'. '1939 November. Chapter. I resolve to start alone. Saw Velho few minutes. Victualling. Off. Engine failure, a pitiful trip. Getting nowhere. Resolve to return. A fine run back. Aden at the year end'. '1940. Chapter. The last voyage. We start in difficulties. Making good. Finally get to Asir and washed back. Difficulties of the situation. Probably feelings of the Officials. Reason for going onto the North shore. Survey of a suitable place to scrape'. 'Part 11. Last Voyage 1940'.

Images include: sketch of the 'Jerma' or Turkish Egyptian river boat; sketch of the false Jerma; sketch 'one of the few remaining topsail schooners. Limassol. 145 tons'; sketch of 'the Job header schooners of the Eastern basin'; sketch of 'Hybrid Junk Siam-Straits'; sketch of 'Straits Fixed Gaff Ketch 80 tons'; sketch of Adalia [Antalya] Bay, Turkey; small drawing of profile of Mount Etna; sketch of the harbour area, Valetta, Malta; sketch of South Massawa Channel, Red Sea [Eritrea], showing Annersley Bay, Dalak Island and Dalak Bank; sketch map of Thio [Tio], Eritrea; sketch map of Aden, Yemen, showing Slave Island and Maalla; sketch of Gulf coastline showing Urhga, Makalla, Ras el Kalb and Ahwa; sketch map of the Eastern most point of Africa, showing Ras Asir, Khor Hafun, Hafun Bay and Socotra; sketch of propeller and rudder; sketch of profile of shore near Makalla, Somaliland; sketch of coast of British and Italian Somaliland, from Ras Khanzina to Ras Asir.