“Elizabeth Moody, age nineteen and very beautiful, accompanied her Uncle, Dr. Walter C. Lowdermilk and family on an official trip for the United States government, using their personal car and paying their own expenses, to study old Roman lands for the benefit of the US soil conservation service, and American farmers to find out what could be [learned] of the agricultural successes and failures of the past.” – Forward to Lowdermilk’s niece’s diary
January 31, Tuesday—Wrote in the morning and then off for a couscous meal at the Baghdad. Got the car and drove over to the Kelly’s to say “hello”, and then to the souks. It’s wonderful to sit tailor-fashion on a pile of beautiful rugs with beautiful tapestries and old Persian rugs hanging on the walls and in this quiet restful atmosphere sip tea and talk leisurely—the Arab gentleman in yellow vest, soft yellow slippers and flowing white burnoose. He gave me a “wedding present” of two rug seat covers. Mac got two gorgeous old Mecca rugs. While we were sitting waiting for the tea to be poured, the Arab, Ben Saada, which means “man of chance” said that the one who got the last cup of tea poured would be married within a year, and he gave it to me.
Then he took us downstairs into a small secluded room and we sniffed and bought the essences to wonderful fragrances. Chanel, Patou and others by the essence from this very man, mix the perfume together with alcohol and sell them for a price. It was after 7 when we left. He took us in his car to our car, for it was raining. He has a Citroen which compares with a Ford or a Packard for traveling.
February 1, Wednesday—Wrote in the morning and then at 12:30 the Kelley’s took us out to a lovely restaurant for luncheon. Aunt Inez went back to the hotel to write, but Wester, Billy, Mrs. Kelley and I went to the souks to pay for some rugs. We made a beeline or as much as a beeline as possible in the narrow, twisting, dirty, muddy streets, for it had been raining, to Palais de Orient, the shop of Ben Saada.
He was waiting for us, and, while I wanted to pay the first thing, we were shown into a small room where we leisurely sipped tea and ate dates, candied quince and Turkish delight. Then I picked out a leather cushion, the best, and he knocked the price way down. We went upstairs and while showing Mrs. Kelley the antiques we came across the Saracen belt. Mr. Ben Saada said I could have it for 80 francs, and I took it. It was just the right size too. Then he picked out several ancient Roman coins for a bracelet and gave them to me.
He also gave all of us a Fatma’s Hand of Chance. The Bey had a wife named Fatma whom he loved dearly, but one day found her with another man. He was supposed to kill her, but he loved her so much that instead he cut off her hand—the Fatma’s Hand of Chance. Then I bought an old cashmere shawl and a tray and by this time it was very late. Mr. Ben Saada took us in his car to get Mr. Kelley’s car which was left at the edge of the souks. First thing we had a flat which delayed us and then the Kelley’s car wasn’t to be found. We left Mrs. Kelley at the Port de France and then went back to look up telephone messages at the hotel, but there were none. In the meantime Mrs. Kelley found Mr. Kelley and everything was OK.
Mr. Saada took the rest of us home to dinner at the hotel. He had wanted to take us out to show us the Arabian nightlife but uncle was gone all day and hadn’t returned—so no go.
Nullius in Verba 