Sat. Ap 10. [10 April 1909] Breakfasted with the Halls and went out
shopping with her. We also went to the Gumruk where I photographed
all the domes. There are some oblong 4 sided domes and some
ditto in which the top is laid in quite flat. I can't think how it's done.
Then in the bath lovely flat domes on decorated squinches (these are
copied all over the modern bazaars) and also 4 sided domes on
squinches. There is usually a tremendous lot of merchandize waiting
here but this year very little, partly owing to the fact that this year the
Persian trade has so much fallen off owing to the disturbances. Then
went down to the top khaneh to try and see the rooms which belonged
to the old palace of the Khalifs. The gun outside is of the time of
Sultan Murad and is dated. While I was waiting they brought me 3
small clay statuettes -Egyptian with hieroglyphs on the lower parts -
which had been found at Hit [(Is)]. Finally I was sent to the
Commandant Muhammad Pasha Daghistani. On his roof are a
couple of Irak lions male and female. He was very polite but said
there was nothing to be seen and all was now full of military stores.
So I returned home via Lynch's office where Mr Parry gave me
money. At 4 rode out to the Bab et Talism and the Bab el Wastani. It
too has been decorated but with tiles which are now fallen out. The
shape is this [sketch] The inner circular room is set round with niches
8 of them, 2 being occupied by doors. Near the gate is the Sheikh
'Amr with a pointed dome like the Sitt Zubeida. Dined with Mr Richarz.
There were there Capt Bowden and Fiennes, Mr Levack, Mr Parry, Mr
and Mrs Langridge, Dr Blunt and a German vice consul. Mrs
Langridge was full of astounding tales of Vi Buxton - how she lay down
in the bazaar, carried about with her a photograph of herself in
coronation clothes, was terrified of the Baghdad button etc - Mark
Sykes caused some annoyance by printing the statement that there
was only one sober man in Baghdad. After dinner played bridge and
Richarz played the piano which he does beautifully. He founded the
German consulate here. He came and established himself, gradually
got allowances for kavasses etc and so formed a consulate. When it
became a regular consulate they put in a trained consul but he still
lives in Baghdad.