ABSTRACT
By far the most agreeable amongst my colleagues and, in fact, amongst all the people I met in Baghdad was the British Consul-General or 'Resident', Colonel Loch. I received an invitation to dine with him and his staff before I had had time to pay him my call or even leave my card at his house. We made friends at once and arranged to meet every day for a walk or a ride as long as the season should permit. In the hot weather we were going to make excursions on the river in the steam launch of the Residency. The title 'Resident' was a remnant of the days of the East India Company who kept merchants resident in different towns outside India. These were invested with consular if not diplomatic functions and privileges. The Indian Government paid a considerable part of their salary and provided them with an escort of Indian sowars as well as with small yachts and gunboats in the seaports. This gave the British representative a position far superior to that of all the other Consuls.
