Page 303 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1927

resent any efforts to teach them how. They wont let him lick an envelope without their permission. Then Ali bin Hussein with
draft of a speech to be delivered at the Meglis which we are holding tomorrow, a very good speech. Afterwards wrote letters
& read. Meeting at the Palace in the afternoon all the chief merchants and Seyed Ednan & several religious. None of them
suspected what it was about but all approved entirely. Altogether a great success & I was glad that the Shaikh put Seyed
Ednan on the sofa next to him - diplomatic. Afterwards played tennis at Agency. Quite cold after sunset.

Saturday [1 October]

Court. Very busy day, a lot of cases & letters etc. One has an endless stream of people all expecting their jobs or cases to be
dealt with at once. They dont realise what a lot one has to do. Went to the garden in the afternoon. Zayani came to discuss his
idea of an agricultural concession for ten years on certain crops and a 30 year lease of certain big plots of ground, he means to
grow potatoes cotton tobacco etc etc as well as fruit grain & vegetables. It sounds good but needs thinking of. Dinner at
Mespers, Bridge. Parke & Zoumeroff are going on next boat so there wont be 2 fours of Bridge, worse luck.