Page 387 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1928

Various people came to call. Sh Mohamed, who talked mostly about his tenants who wont pay rents, & also about
wishing to go to England for a visit before going to Geneva - if he has to. He was really quite pleasant. Then Yusuf
Fakroo & A.R. Zayani who came merely to call, also Mohamed Zayani to say goodbye as he is going out to the pearl
banks, & to talk about his affairs. His father died leaving debts & making him sole executor & his sister, co-heir, wont
agree to his arrangements. She seems to be behaving very stupidly.

Went down bazaar afterwards, met several merchants. Tennis & Bridge at Agency. Very bothered about
Omar who has been behaving very queerly lately. Partly it is because I am going & partly because the other servants in
the house have been badgering him. I like him so much & dont want to lose him. He is the best valet I have ever had
& a man I can absolutely trust.

Saturday 20th [April]

Parke took my Court. Sulman came in afterwards & more or less complained of Parke's manners & style, also said that
the Shaikh wished to give me a present, some cash to help towards leave. Very nice of him. He has written a letter
about my going on leave saying how much he & the people will miss me etc, all very complimentary. I am supposed
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not to know about it but of course I do. Sent 2 tenants of Sh Moh 's to prison. Went out in land car to see the road
work etc & then to the garden. The Shaikh went to Muharrak for the night.

Sunday [21 April]

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The Shaikh came in on his way back from Muharrak with Moh & Abdulla. We all went over to see Barrett.

ON LEAVE

Tuesday 30th October 1928

Arrived at Bahrain after lunch. Very fine weather and quite smooth. All the members of both the Municipal Councils
came out to meet us with Shaikh Abdulla and various other personages. We had quite a reception on the boat and they
consumed three dozen bottles of lemonade. The ships officers were most interested and I hope impressed. Very hot
and damp. We didnt go ashore till quite late, with Parke and de Grenier in Kosaibi's big launch, a very comfortable
boat with the deck all covered with carpets and chairs. Had our first taste of Arab coffee again. We were met on the
pier by a big crowd including Yousif Kanoo who came with us into the Customs House. Sat there for some time and
then I went round to call on Mohamed Ali Zainal as he was going off by the boat on which we came. He came round
to the Customs to see M. I thought he seemed tired. I gather he has not bought so much this season. Finally motored
along to the Agency as Mrs Barrett had asked us to stay there till settled in.