Page 388 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

386

1928

Wednesday 31st October

Went over to the office in the morning. Crowds of people came to call, merchants and Shaikhs. Really I think they are
glad to see me back, if not they act very well. Motored out to call on the Shaikh at Sakhrir with Sh: Mohamed. Found
him sitting in the shade of his house with his hawks in front of him. He has been buying new ones lately for the
season. He looks well but thinner. He was very ill at one time while I was away but is now better. It seems to have
made him even lazier than before as he now often does not turn up for things saying that he feels a little unwell. Drank
coffee and talked for some time. He asked after the King and talked about general European politica. Daij was there,
more spoilt than ever and ridiculously over dressed.

In the afternoon we went to the sort of Reception party which the Municipal Councils had arranged for us
in the Municipal garden. Really it was very well done. There were several hundred people on rows of chairs on the
lawn, Shaikhs Abdulla and Mohamed and ... number of others, also all the Europeans. Ali bin Hussein ... long
complimentary speech, I got up and said a few words ... which I hope they understood. Tea, coffee, M and Mrs Bar...
given bouquets and all of us little bunches of flowers, r... very pleasant entertainment and intended to be a complim...
holding it in the garden which I made. The garden has ... the trees have grown enormously but it is rather overgrown ...
parts. Barrett drove us out to Suk al Khamis to see the ... which I had repaired just before I left. It looks very ... rather
like a Wembley building, or a cinema affair, very ... showy. People to dinner in the evening. The Pennings, ...
Dalenburg and Parke and de Grenier. Sat a long time talking ... with Barrett.

Parke has had endless rows with the Indian assistant at the Agency and there has been a lot of trouble
among the Police owing to Parke absolutely trusting the Superintendent and apparently taking everything he says for
gospel truth. Parke is quite obsessed with the idea that there is a sort of plot against him made by the Indians in the
place. Barrett is very irritated about it and now says that it is a pity that Parke is not the one who is likely to go. I
always said that myself.

Thursday 1st November

Office in the morning. Everything seems to be alright. The revenue is rather low, below the Budget, but the first three
months of the Arabic year are never ... ones. A lot of people came in the morning to call. Parke took the Court and
came in to lunch afterwards. He talked about the police business. I think Barrett has been rather weak over it but
Parke seems to take it much too seriously. He must have had a very worrying summer if he believed all he told me.
After lunch we opened the new dining room table which looks very nice. Drove out with Parke to the Palace garden
and various other places ... to the fort, where we picked up my dog, Siwa, and back here to tea. Smith and Miss
Dalenburg came to call and also one of the Sunni Kadis, a personage. He never likes it known that he calls on me so
always comes incog: after dusk, he says that people talk so in Bahrain, which they certainly do. Parke's nerves are in a
bad way, he really goes on in an absurd way about the Police business. Barrett went off in the John Lambert to Dohar.
He told me, strictly confidentally, that Bahrain is to be used as a base this Autumn for sea planes which are to work
along the coast. Barrett has to make arrangements for this with the Shaikhs on the coast. The Shaikh came to call in
the morning on M. He brought one of his murderer relations, a horrible looking fellow. He has been much worried
this summer by uninvited guests who have stayed with him for months and behaved very expensively and badly. A
Shaikh from Muscat left on the boat we arrived on after about three months here eating at the Shaikhs expense.