2110-3-11-10

19 Sept 1921.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, BARBADOS.

My dear Buchan

It is a far cry to the Johannesburg days when you were on the great Lord M's staff and I in the Police. I have watched yr. career since with interest and read many of your books. I have just finished reading yr. Memoir of Francis & Rivers-dale Grenfell and if I may say so I like best of all I have read of your writings. You bring out so finely the lives of two exceptional young men who ever worked in a manly way to fit themselves

for greater service to their country and then made the great sacrifice so splendidly. I did not know either personally but I know much of them and so many people mentioned in the memoir are or have been among my friends. We had Mr & Mrs Edward Grenfell with the Pierpont Morgans in their yacht here last year & the pleasure of entertaining them while passing through. You and I have not met since Joburg days but I have met Billy Lambton, Geoffrey Dawson & Brand once or twice on my short spells at home. On the occasion of HRH's visit last year, I heard news of you from Grigg.

I suffered retrenchment in S. Africa in 1908, the new government did not wish to keep the former President of Military Tribunal as Chief of Police, and had 18 trying months unemployed when I was sent to the Gambia as Colonial Secretary

After 3 years I was given the Governorship of Seychelles & promoted from there to Barbados 1918. This is really a very nice place, quite the best climate I have struck in my many years of wanderings. We are very comfortably housed and there is a large white population who have tradition behind them. The position of Governor although power of the throne is kept by the House of Assembly is an interesting one. Rather a change from Seychelles where I had almost autocratic power to a Colony with an old constitution. There are always a number of interesting visitors and much entertaining of H.M's & other ships of war which is pleasant although somewhat of a tax in present days however both my wife and daughters like it, and we have a busy life. You will remember of my cousin Catesby Burn-Murdoch who you

were good enough to try & help onto the Land Settlement in S.Africa in days gone by. He has done well in the F.M.S. in Rubber, but I take it present slump hits him as it has my son in law Harry Gough who is out there with my eldest daughter. I have one son in the Mining Rights Dept in S.Africa and another in the Egyptian service.

Both Gough & Burn Murdoch did good work in Dardanelles & France with Scottish Horse & Lovats Scouts.

I will not bore you further. We are hoping to come home for a short run next year when I hope we may meet. With all best wishes -

Yours sincerely,

Charles O'Brien.