Page 239 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

237

1927

Court. Started late as I was a long time at the Customs where I saw Ali bin Seggar who denied any conversation with Sulman.
Sulman talked about it for an hour, I think perhaps he was not mixed up in it himself, but there's no smoke without fire. Had
a case against a so-called religious personage called Abdulla Sahaf accused of misappropriating money intended for religious
purposes. Abdulla b Tabr came in after tea & asked that his "lady friend" one of the 27 Basra ladies who were deposited,
should be allowed to return! A supper picnic at Idari given by Spence. The new bank manager was there, Smith, Scotch,
rather a little bounder & tries to be funny all the time. Dont care for him. Bathed first, to the sound of a gramophone, &
then had a very excellent dinner, then drove on to Budeiya arriving at about midnight. Found Omar there, & our belongings.
Slept on the roof of the tower of the fort where the police live. A lot of mosquitoes but fortunately I had a net - Alban had
not.

Friday [17 June]

Got up early & after rather a scrappy breakfast went down to the Shaikh's launch which took us across to Sezireh, his hunting
island. Met his silugis & coursed across the whole island, getting 3 hares. Great sport. Then arrived at the spring where he
joined us, dressed in yellow silk, very workmanlike. Sat in a tent on the shore close to the sea & drank coffee. The Shaikh is
extremely democratic in his way of life, he lets his servants sit round & join in conversation & often they agree with him.