Page 500 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

497

1929

The Shaikh. He looked very well after his hunting trip. He is said to be negotiating for a new wife, and having four
already, the full compliment he must divorce one of them. The four unfortunate ladies are all in a twitter wondering
which of them will be the one to be divorced. It must be very disturbing for them. I wonder any proper people ever let
their daughters marry him as it is such a temporary affair. He marries about three every year, so expensive too. The
headmaster of the Shia school came in and suggested some plans of our trying to stir up a revolt in Katif against Ibn
Saoud. He even offered us a castle which he owns over there as a centre. I liked the idea but it would be very
dangerous to touch it. The King has imposed a huge fine on Katif for support of the army and the people cant pay it
and are selling their property to Bahrain merchants, Sunnis, in order to raise the funds. A lot of people called and
delayed me so much that I missed the Shia Kadi on whom I had an appointment to call. Busy in the office. Various
people said how wise the Govt had been in punishing the man who imported the cultured pearls. Motored in the
afternoon to Essex point met Mrs Straker and John there. D.G. and Parke came round after tea and played Bridge.
D.G. gets on my nerves very much, his manner is so very oily.

Sunday [24 November]

Went over to Muharrak in the morning and saw the demolished shops. Had up the secretary of the council and gave
him a telling off.

Sunday 24th November 1929

Went over to Muharrak in the morning and saw the demolished shops of Shaikh Abdulla. A sad sight, the whole line
of shops have been cut in half and hardly anything left of some of them. Had up the secretary of the Biladya and gave
him a real ticking off, he had been talked to earlier by Shaikh Abdulla and was rather limp so when I started on him he
collapsed altogether and laid his head on his arms on the table and wept. Had a look at the Sea Road which is to be
opened when the P.R. comes, a good piece of work about ¼ mile long, like the promenade at a seaside town. Heard
about a bad epidemic at a little town called Galali and sent the Muharrak doctor out there. It is apparently malaria
caused by an artesian well flooding. Shaikh Abdulla came back from calling on the Shaikh while I was there, had a
talk to him about the business of the shops and decided that we would dismiss the council and have a new election. It
will teach them that they cant do just as they please in the place without the President being present. Came back and
called in at the Agency to talk to P. about the sea road scheme. The Van Esses called while I was in Muharrak, M said
they were very nice. He is the head Mission man at Basra and rather a well known man, an expert arabic scholar.
Took a long motor drive in the afternoon along the south coast of the island, a way we had never driven before. Went
to see Holmes when I got back and told him about the illness in Galali, they said that 60 people had died in two
months, but probably exaggerated. D.G. called and expected to be asked to dinner but we didnt ask him. It annoys me
when people come in and evidently want to be asked to stay.

Monday [25 November]

Court, Sulman did not come but sent Mohamed bin Ali. I was very busy so left him to carry on and there was a noise
like the Zoo all the time so evidently he couldnt keep any order. The Arabs are no good when left to themselves.
Jasim Kanoo called to say goodbye, he is going to India on the down boat. Long talk with Adham and Yousuf Fakru
about education. The difficulty is to get any women helpers for the girls school, there are no educated women in