Page 372 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

370

1928

Thursday 23rd [February]

Various people came in to see me. Worked in the office all the morning, wrote a lot of letters. People came to tea &
Bridge in the afternoon but only enough for one table. The down mail came in, a letter from Cooks about the route
home. It doesnt seem much more than the other way.

Friday 24th [February]

Went to breakfast with Holmes, a most excellent meal, ham toast scones etc. Stayed there quite a long time talking.
Two of the geologists came in. Afterwards went down the bazaar which was very empty, being Ramadan. Had a walk
round & then came home & went across to see Barrett who was busy reading telegrams about the last raid on Kuwait,
the biggest that there has been yet in which the Arabs brought down one of our aeroplanes. Tea & tennis at the Agency
afterwards. Quite a hot day. Barrett was wearing summer clothes, but probably it will be cold again before the
summer really starts. One misses the Spences.

Saturday 25th [February]

Court. Sh Mohamed bin Abdulla acted for Sh Sulman - he was no good & never opened his mouth. Quite a long
Court, lasted till one oclock. Sh Abdulla came in with the letter from Seyed Ednan to the Shaikh saying - practically -
that according to the Shaikh's orders he had squared the people in the Khalid case. Violent shamaal, very rough sea,
waves breaking across the road. Went out in car & got a puncture. Two of the wheels are absolutely worn out. Left
the car at the garage & went for a walk round the back of the town where it was more sheltered. Very violent gale.
The boat should have come but, naturally, didnt. Started a picture, bazaar scene.

Sunday Feb. 26th

Went over to the Agency in the morning. Read over more telegrams about the raiding at Kuwait. Went to tennis &
Bridge at Mespers. Very pleasant. Straker did things quite well. Barrett asked me in the morning to try & get him
some reliable information about Nejd. The Agency think that bin Saoud's power is on the wane, because he does not
control the raiding tribes round Kuwait he must either be backing them, which he would hardly do as he knows the
power of the British Army & Govt or he must be unable to control them which means that his power is going & he is
siding with the Akhwan against his own judgment. Ali b Hussein came round in the evening & two of the American
geologists to dinner, they were quite pleasant, one had been in Sinai & knew a lot of the F.D.A. people there. Played
Bridge. Myself I think this fuss about Bin Saoud is rather absurd, its a scare started by More, P.A. of Kuwait where the
raiding is going on.

Monday 27th Feb.

Went over to the Agency in morning to hear about the Kuwait news. They had another big raid there 4 days ago, 2000
camels each carrying 2 riders & a lot of horsemen. As bin Saoud makes no attempts to stop it the raids increase in
frequency & importance. Stevenson, the electrical Inspector for Sind, sent by Govt of India, arrived. He came over in