Page 457 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1929

which seems to interest him. The Mission, who had not seen him for some time all remarked on how thin he has
become. He doesnt look very well. Bridge after tennis. Cool weather still.

Saturday [6 July]
Abdulla came in the morning to hear what I thought about the idea of an Inspector. I am writing to Beyrout and he is
writing to someone he knows in Damascus and we will compare the replies. He is very keen on the idea as he rightly
says that as the Govt spends so much on education it should be a proper department. I have never interfered in it
before as it has always been his show and I thought he would resent it but now he himself wants to hand it over to the
Govt. Went to see the Shaikh in the morning, and then to bathe in Idari. The Shaikh signed the Budget. I took Haji
Seggar with me and Nairan. Read over a letter from Prior about land rights etc. The Shaikh didnt pay great attention
to it. He wants a lot of repairs done to the Palace. He is really very absurd about it as he hardly lives there any time.
He seemed quite satisfied with the Budget, but I always wonder how much he takes in. I saw the two youngest boys at
their lessons when I was in the house, sitting on the floor on each side of the old Mullah with a large Koran infront of
them learning it by heart, like parrots. I asked Ahmed how he liked it, he didnt, he said he had still three quarters of the
Koran to learn.

Sunday [7 July]
Prior came in while I was at breakfast and stayed some time discussing the question of holding a service for the King's
return to health. I didnt urge it. Eventually he wrote to the Strakers and the Bank but none of them seemed to want it.
Went out with Khalil Moayad to see a site of land he wants to buy on the side of the Manama Muharrak road. Rather
warm, but we were in the sun. Bathed in the afternoon.

Monday [8 July]

Shaikh Abdulla came while I was at breakfast. He came to tell me that one of the sepoys had brought him a note from
one of the prisoners who used to be one of his servants. He stayed some time and had some breakfast with me. He
seems to come a lot now, he is living at his house along the coast.

Went out to the site of the sea road to Muharrak with the Biladya to decide about where the road was to
start. It begins at the little mosque round the corner beyond the Agency. We climbed up into a barani house and from
there we could see the route very well. The neighbours were tremendously interested and all the women appeared in
their houses looking out at us. Prior came too. Then went back to Court. Tennis at Mission and then bathed in Idari,
dined at Mespers, rather a dull dinner but good bridge with Pack who plays well.

Tuesday [9 July]

Muharrak Biladya. Went by launch and sailed back. Nice day. Quite a dull meeting. They are far more restrained and
pleasant at Muharrak than Manama, perhaps because they are all Bahrain Arabs except one man, and he is quite a
decent Persian. We tried to persuade them to buy a small motor lorry, an Austin, more suitable for the narrow streets