My grandfather's diary from 1935-1936

My grandfather's diary(1935-1936).

Very happy that my parents had preserved this diary. It took considerable time to decipher the handwriting but it sure was a fun project. With help from a number of people including my neighbor, husband, son, my siblings and of course Google, we have deciphered most of the pages. I have enclosed the deciphered document as well the original pages. In the diary he describes about the Rockefeller Foundation fellowship, getting the American visa and travel preparations. He also describes his ship journey up to Egypt.

Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship to U.S.A

5th April 1935

Had been to Calcutta. Saw an advertisement for the appointment of 3 Research Assistants to

Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship(R.F.F) Lt. Col Stevans and Dr. Morpheus - promised to help me. 

Consulted Dr. W.C.Sweet.  Advised by him to apply and promised to try to get me a fellowship to

USA by RF. Did research work on guinea worm disease in Chitradurga till 25th June 1936.

11th July 1936

Cable from New York to Dr. W.C. Sweet  and letter to me from Dr. W.C.S informing me that I have

been granted the fellowship at about 6pm in the house.  Informed mother at once.  She was indeed

very happy. Wife got a little upset over a casual remark made by me while informing her.

19th August 1936

Left Bangalore with father by Guntakal Express to Bombay (on the 9th August had gone to Madras

to obtain my American visa and to settle certain matters with Cooks. Child was not well at the time

of departure. Everything went off o.k. at Madras. Returned to Bangalore on 11th August 1936 with

Narayan). Jatka with wife and children to the station.

Disappointed to meet only a few friends on the platform. 

Dr. Rice presented me with a garland and bouquet. 

Photographs taken by Mr. G.Narasinga Setty of Krishna Setty & Sons.

Another freshman travelled with me.

He was going to London for higher studies in electrical technology.

Took my food at Dharmavaram.

20th August 1936

Reached Bombay at 10.30 morning by Deccan Queen. Stopped in the Modern Hindu Hotel   

situated close to V.T Station. Had been to Thomas Cook and Son and came to know Pr.Hays

starts from Bombay on 24th August and not on 21st. Father had fever in the afternoon. 

So phoned to Mr. Ramanna and shifted to his house.

21st August 1936

Father quite well.   Took his bath and performed puja.  On 22nd August 1936 he had again

high fever.  Got anxious about his condition.  Consulted Dr. Vishwanath and Dr. S.S.Iyer.

23rd August 1936

Father had fever again in the evening.

24th August 1936

Left the house in the morning. Was very much moved by feelings as father was not quite well

when I was leaving Bombay and could not accompany me to the harbour.

24th August 1936

Left house at 3 pm with father,  Mr. Ramanna and children. Was glad that father could see the

boat in which I was leaving Bombay.   Was not so much moved by feelings as in the morning.

Father was very much moved by feelings.  The boat left Bombay at 6.10 pm. 

Before the boat left we were all given a roll of paper to throw ashore so that people on shore

might catch hold at one end and we the other. It was a very nice, picturesque sight at the time

of departure. Feelings of separation from India came to the mind. 

But soon these feelings subsided as I mixed with friends and engaged in personal conversation.

During the conversation, one of the Bengali doctor friend told me real news from a nice editorial

written about my paper a day earlier in fact on 23 August 1936. Had tea with Lt. Col Swickley.

Had a very nice, instructive and interesting talk with him. T

old me that I could take my DSc very easily within a year for the work already done by me.

Suggested that I should not waste my time in learning things which I know already.

Let me try and learn everything  worth learning in my field. While I am in U.S.A. could visit as

many universities and as many really great men as possible.

Gave me also the institute  library copy of the S.M.G in which my paper on dog infection

had been published. Had our food in the dining hall at 7.30 pm and read the editorial of my

article at 10 pm.

25th August 1936

Had my breakfast in the cabin. Was not feeling well. Took some of the food given by Mr. Ramanna.

Vomited 2 or 3 times. Was lying in bed practically the whole day.

26th, 27th and 28th August 1936

Was not feeling quite well. So was lying in the cabin practically the whole day.

Later was feeling very much better.  Started taking  breakfast in the morning.

Getting my lunch to the cabin and attending dinner in the night in the dining room.

Was also attending games, studying, writing etc.

Was feeling quite active and energetic and was attending to my work quite normally.

In the boat in which I was traveling there was a gentleman M Lal Bheemchand from Punjab

and Mr.Mitra from the All India Institute of Hygiene and Dr.Mukherjee from the School of Medicine.

In addition had Drs from Siam were also travelling. They were heading to London for higher

studies in Neurology.

Life in the boat was quite pleasant and happy. Fathers health was the only thing that was

worrying me occasionally sometimes and very frequently when I was not engaged in any

work or conversation.

2nd September 1936

The boat reached Suez at about 11pm.  Customs and Doctor examination till 11.30, 

Got 10 dollar exchanged to Egyptian money.  Got 185 piastres.  1 dollar = 18.5 piastres.

In Cairo could have got 19 piastres !  Cook people met us at the boat. Left the ship with

2 other American ladies and also a Central American lady by a boat to the harbour at Suez.

Left Suez to Cairo in a car.  Had to pay 35 piastres to get the Egyptian visa.

The motor drive from Suez to Cairo was very pleasant as the road was very good for motoring.

Suez is a small but nice decent place. The entire route was a desert looking place with no

trees or bushes on the sides. Halfway from Suez Cooks people are constructing a rest lounge

for travellers. Nearly 3/4ths of the road is very nice and tarred. 

Remaining 1/4 is very bad indeed. Another road is under construction.   

Reached Heliopolis, the cantonment of Cairo at about 3.45 AM. It’s a very clean and

beautiful portion. This is the main cantonment of Cairo. Reached Cairo at about 4AM.

American friends got down at the Continental Savoy - a first class hotel. I got down at

the Victoria hotel a second class lodging. This hotel is quite good.

3rd September 1936

Visited the museums and near bazars with the American friends. Museum is an excellent

place to see from every point of view. Saw many things of interest of which the most interesting

were these dug out of Tutenkhamun tomb - The gold boxes and the gold coffins in which

Tutenkhamun's remains had been preserved.  Did not buy anything at the bazaar.

In the afternoon, visited the mosque, the citadel, and drove through the Nile.

American friend visited the Egyptian dance but I didn't go with them as I felt very sleepy

and wanted rest badly. 

4th September 1936

Went with the American friends to the Pyramid and the Sphinx. Had a very nice camel ride. 

Returned to the hotel at 12 Noon. Had my lunch. In this hotel a sundry gentleman coming f

rom Karachi has kept a curio shop. 

Purchased a purse, a pencil and shirt sleeve links for 4 ½ Dollars. 

Left Cairo to Alexandria by train at 3.30 pm. Egyptian train. Not very good. 

Cushions are new, made out of the ficus plant.

Had collected samples of cyclops from clear river channels of river Nile.

Got good samples. Preserved in 30% saline. The channel contained some small species of fish.

Density of copepods not very high. Purchased a pen knife for a dollar at Alexandria. 

Reached the boat at about 8.30pm. On the whole, the trip to Cairo was quite interesting

and provided a good relaxation from monotonous sea voyage I had for nearly 10 days previously.