DINING WITH SULTAN.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17773, 8 October 1927, Page 9

DINING WITH SULTAN.

AUSTRALIAN WOMAN IN ZANZIBAR.

GUAI-TREES PREFERRED TO EASTERN SPLENDOUR.

’All. the luxurious life of . the East without .life smells is to be: found .in 'Zanzibar, a little island; otf the east coast ot Africa. Instead of those stran'go odours . which; are the peculiar property ot Eastern bazaars and markets, there -is' tlie delicious fragrance of spices and cioves. Zanzibar supplies the bulk of .the world’s market, with’cloves and housewives will be interested to know, that each tiny spice'-'; lids ‘.‘to be picked asylum for.'ex-clove pickers has’'not yet been'found necessary A ' * Tlie : refriote/little;.-/ island/is V‘ also picturesque uU-Miat it’ is' ruled i. by a riultan, His Highness Said •Ka ifa, Sovereign Prince of Zanzibar, under a British Protectorate. There- are about 3UU Europeans- on Zanzibar, but no Americans and only one Australian. The Jone Australian is Airs C. Brook Francis, wife of the legal adviser to the Sultan, who is at present in Sydney. Airs Hendry, wife of Commissioner for Education in Zanzibar, was born in Queensland, of Scotch parentage, but Jolt when she was quite young, so Airs Francis can claim to be the only Commonwealth representative in the cosmopolitan community. Airs Francis is a world traveller, and during the past seventeen years since she left her Sydney home, she has done 128,00 U miles of sea travel and Jived in many countries. She has made her home in Zanzibar for the past six years —and against a background of rich romance she lias tilled her time v.uv-i bridge, tennis, and golf, and a gV.:..0 deal of entertaining. In a beautiful home built by slaves, in earlier, "days, following the style of Arab architecture, Alts Francis has no domestic worries. Arabs and Swlialis' manage her home and plan her parties. • She merely U.K.’s the little hook which is brought to her every morning for approval. Some women never know; tlie insides of their kitchens, -and she saw her own kitchen only a couple of times. When she goes abroad she never walks, and her own private rickshaw; or her ear take .her wherever she wants to, go. Her rickshaw-man is dressed. in • livery, .as if. he. were ’ a chauffeur, and Ins e-ostunie is fawn and scarlet. • .. . “1 wonder what Alusu wou’d think if lie could hear kimse’f described. as being smart in'fawn’and scarlet,” said Airs Francis with a smile.

“Zanzibar is a most picturesque Eastern town./' continued the traveller. “and there is quite a Cliu Cliu Cliowisli look about the place. The brilliant sunshine and vivid colouring of the costumes, of the Arabs and Indians, and the heavily vci’ed women walking Hie very narrow streets all help to make the scene somewhat theatrical. It is interesting to see Mint tlie new English Cathedral is being erected on tlie site of the old slave market.

“Zanzibar is famous for its old doors —massive, heavily carved doorways with big brass knobs which were erected to prevent the e ephants pushing '.heir way in to tea uninvited. The country is covered with the ruins of beautiful palaces, built by slave labour; no Sultan ever occupies a palace wlucn has been lived in by a previous Sultan. “The present Sultan, an Arab, is a most charming person and gives wonderful dinner parties at his palace. He never goes abroad, except to visit Sir O'aude and Lady Hollis at the British .Residency. Dinner is served in Knglish lashion, but when the many sheiks are invited their robes and turbans of gold and heavy silk in magnificent colours, make the reception rooms look like a lingo tulip garden. After, dinner the ladies of the party leave the 'men and go upstairs to the apartments of the Sultana, who is in purdah, and. no man but her husband ever visits Tier'. “The Sultan’s young son, prince Abdulla, has an English tutor, ana is still at school, although he is maryipd and has two children. “The Arabs arc the most gracious and charming people ir< the world,” said -Mrs Francis, “and they have ,tfie whitest teeth 1 have ever seen. Thev are a proud race, and T admire inem partirularlv for not trying to be ultraEuropean.” Tn three or four months’ time Mrs. Francis will return to the splendour of Zanzibar. But as she sat in file Sydncv sunshine, while bees hummed drowsily in the blossoms of a huge flowering plum tree, she said; -somewhat .wistfully, ‘-‘But T would ike. Vnqro than anything else to have a Tittle house among the gum trees.”