Page 265 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1927

Thursday [28 July]

Sat on deck all the morning. A following wind so quite dreadfully hot far far worse than on shore, really horrible. Arrived
within sight of Dohar after lunch. Alban & I went ashore, 10 miles, in the ships launch. The Shaikh was away & they sent for
him which gave us time to walk round the bazaar. Rather a nice place, quite clean & absolutely up-to-date. The Shaikh's
palace, a very handsome house, on a hill above the sea at one end of the town, on the other side a curving sweep of sand. No
signs of any vegetation except in two little gardens. The bazaar had nothing much in it but was quite picturesque. A lot of
black slaves about. Dohar is a great place for slaves but they all looked very lively. Finally the Shaikh arrived, a handsome
old white bearded fellow very portly & dignified, & a fat black bearded son. The Shaikh had a fine presence & a good manner.

When we went round the market they provided us with an escort of long haired Bedus armed with rifles & sticks, with the
latter they kept off inquisitive people beating both men, women & boys lustily across the back. Evidently a custom & one
which I should like to see adopted here.

The Shaikh took us up to the Meglis in his castle overlooking the bay & Alban discussed the matter of an attack on a boat
about which he had come. Eventually we decided to burn the boat of the culprit, & did so on the spot. A & I stayed & saw it