Page 454 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1929

Saoud is said to have sent a young man to Hassa to take over the Amirship. The Persians and Bahranis are delighted at
the condition of the Amir. Went out to the gardens in the afternoon and then called on Zayani at his garden. He had
the old brother of the Shaikh of Dohar with him, a fine old fellow who looked shocked at my shorts. If I had known of
his being there I would not have worn them. He seemed determined that I was either a doctor or an Engineer. The
garden looked very nice. Zayani is boring a new artesian well. Talked about the case of Mohamed Ali and his sister
which has not yet been settled and about the wakf business. Zayani is coming to the Court on Monday to try to effect a
compromise, we have postponed the case three times lately hoping for compromise. The sister is an obstinate woman
and a certain clerk of Yatims is encouraging her. Bathed at Idari. Mohamed Sherif called in the morning. He was
very amusing on the Persian question.

Friday 28th June
Wrote letters most of the morning and rewrote the murder case which was rather illegible. Then went over to the
Agency to see Prior. Stayed there till lunch time. Very foggy day at sea. The down boat came in with a few letters for
me. Tennis at Agency. Bienenfeld and Ben Simon, his secretary, came in in the afternoon to call on the way to the
Agency. Glad to see him back here. Pack arrived also and was at the Agency. Played Bridge afterwards, had some
good games. Talked to Ben Simon in French as except Prior, who I do not mind, there is no one who can speak it,
except D.G. whose accent is as bad as in Arabic. Rather a warm evening but I still sleep with a blanket. Arranged to
execute the murderer tomorrow. Abdulla bin Ibrahaim came to call after dinner having arrived from Kuwait on the
boat. His manner and voice are loudly and vulgarly American, his style is deplorable. I think it a pity that anyone was
ever sent to Beyrout, anything would be better than this awful Americanising influence. Bienenfeld brought me a letter
from Mohamed Ali Zainal. D.G. has taken to wearing very loose over long white shorts for tennis, neither one thing or
the other. They make him look a figure of fun. Glad the pearl merchants have come. The garden is very dried up.

Saturday 29 June 1929
Went out with the Doctor early before breakfast to see the murderer executed. It went off without a hitch. There were
a good many people out there but mostly Persians. I was very annoyed at seeing de Grenier on the spot when we
arrived. He has a most morbid taste and always enjoys things of that sort, like a nurse maid going to see a funeral,
always an attraction. I didnt even say good morning to him and he looked very awkward. I thought I saw Ayesha and
her mother in a car in the background but was not certain. Office in the morning, a good many people came in to see
me. Bathed in Idari in the evening. Still wonderfully cool.

Sunday [30 June]

Went out to Sakhrir in the morning with Nairan meaning to get the Budget signed, but the Shaikh took so long trying to
understand the accounts that he never actually signed it. He had a long article in a Cairo paper about Bahrain, very anti
English and pro Ibn Saoud, saying that neither the English or the Persians had any rights in Bahrain but the suitable