Page 389 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

387

1928

Friday 2nd Nov:

Unpacked stores all the morning. Straker came over and did a Lloyds survey of them. Only a few bottles broken
otherwise they are in good order. His wife is arriving tomorrow. No tennis at the Agency as Barrett took the book
away. Took a walk in the town in the evening and then called on the Holmes. Smith was there. She seemed brighter
than she used to be. Mrs Barrett and de Grenier came to dinner. She was very dull. Still very hot and damp. All say
that the summer came later this year than last and September was the worst month of the hot season. It is really most
unpleasant now and I am still wearing thin clothes. Our house is perfectly dry and in good order.

Wednesday 7th Nov.

Held a meeting in the Customs about the question of Persian passports with Parke and de Grenier. The whole thing is
that at present we, the Govt of Bahrain, are allowing Persians to land here with sort of passes issued by Persia for
travelling between Persian ports. To my mind this is almost an admission that Bahrain is a Persian port. Wrote a very
careful letter on behalf of the Shaikh saying that he was going to refuse admission to Persians who only produced these
passes. Arranged with de G a... for a regular system for inspecting all passes and passports o... the boats and also for a
medical inspection of all passengers. If we can get the thing in good working order by lst Dec we should be most
easily able to turn back the Persians. Barrett is ... on my letter to the Resident and it will probably be cabled ... and
unless we are asked to cancel it it will bring this Persian business to a climax, and a good thing too. It was my idea to
do this. We got Shaikh Abdulla in to help us and he entirely backed us in the matter. The Shaikhs are bitterly anti
Persia...

Went to tea in the afternoon with Mohamed Farook, a Persian pearl merchant, to see his new house. It is
an enormous place really very nice in its style. The Strakers were there. She absolutely unused to this sort of thing and
didnt look as if she enjoyed it. She is rather too "refaned" and sticks out her little finger when she drinks tea. I think
she says "Pardon".

In the evening I went over to Muharraq to dinner with Shaikh Abdulla. Rather a dull show, just an
ordinary dinner. Barrett, Parke and de G were there but B and I came away after dinner as the tide was going out. de
G stayed on to see the wedding festivities for Abdulla's son who is marrying his cousin. Quite the least important
person in the whole show seemed to be the bridegroom. Quite a simple dinner, three or four sheep heaped on mounds
of rice, a couple of dozen chicken and a lot of very good dates, Arab bread and water to drink.

In the afternoon they had had a big show outside the town, all the Shaikhs on horseback and a sort of
riding show as well as dances by the Arab followers of the Shaikhs. I was sorry not to see it but as I had accepted the
tea invitation I didnt like to refuse it. Barrett didnt answer till the last moment and Farook was very huffy about it. Its
a pity to annoy them like that.

The Shaikh didnt come to Court in the morning, he had no excuse. Really he becomes more and more
lazy.

Thursday 8th Nov: