The First Summer

Sources: 'abdu'l-baha In London

We had no communication whatever with the out-side world. Each loaf of

bread was cut open by the guard to see that it contained no message. All

who believed in the Baha'i manifestation, children, men and women, were

imprisoned with us. There were one-hundred and fifty of us together in two

rooms and no one was allowed to leave the place with the exceptions of

four persons, who went to the bazaar to market each morning, under guard. br />
The first summer was dreadful. Akka is a fever-ridden town. It was said

that a bird attempting to fly over it would drop dead. The food was poor

and insufficient, the water was drawn from a fever-infected well and the

climate and conditions were such, that even the natives of the town fell

ill. Many soldiers succumbed and eight out of ten of our guard died.

During the intense heat, malaria, typhoid and dysentery attacked the

prisoners, so that all, men, women and children, were sick at one time.

There were no doctors, no medicines, no proper food, and no treatment of

any kind.



I used to make broth for the people, and as I had much practice, I make

good broth, said 'Abdu'l-Baha laughingly.



At this point one of the Persians explained to me that it was on account

of 'Abdu'l-Baha's wonderful patience, helpfulness, and endurance that he

was always called The Master. One could easily feel his mastership in

his complete severance from time and place, and absolute detachment from

all that even a Turkish prison could inflict.