Page 18 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

18

1926

Went over to Muharraq with Daly & Mrs D in the morning. M didnt come as we were not sure if she was supposed to
- as it happened they did expect her. Went to see the wells & the tanks. They seem to be very satisfactory, plenty of
quite sweet water, then we called on one of the leading merchants who had presented a well to the town. A nice old
fellow. He gave us an Arab luncheon, but so soon after breakfast that I couldn't eat any of it, as usual an enormous
spread, I counted over 30 dishes, all set on the ground, & the people squatting round as usual. Then called on
another old man, a dirty old fellow in a messy little house, he had been promising for some time to give money for
a well so Daly tackled him - he said he would subscribe £1000, & bring it early next week to the bank - really it is
amazing what a lot of money these people have, he looked an ordinary rather dirty old Arab, & his clothes needed
washing. He was rather loath to say that he'd bring it, but eventually did as all the people of Muharraq were
apparently saying that he should do so. M went to tea & church at the mission & afterwards, in the evening, we went
for a walk. The evenings here are very lovely, the sunset & the palms & mosques & houses are very Eastern. Not hot,
in fact I felt quite cold lying in the bedroom after lunch & had to put on a big blanket over my ordinary clothes. A mail
in the evening, via India, but only two proper letters for me - some papers but not many.

Monday 19th [April]

Very busy morning. The Sheikh's Court, & a lot of work at the office. Its all in rather a muddle as no one has been
able to supervise the doings of the clerks down there, its not Daly's job, he, as political Agent & Consul deals only
with foreigners, not the Island people. The Sheikhs brother returned from India, quite a nice fellow, has been in
Cairo & talked more Cairene Arabic than most of them. de Grenier keeps on coming into the office & asking silly