Page 403 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1929

lot. Sulman felt very ill but was not actually sick. I didnt much like it. The waves covered us with spray. The ship,
The Triad, was about four miles out. The Shaikh sat in a sort of heap and covered himself over with an abba looking
more like a bundle of baggage than a Shaikh. It was fairly smooth on board the ship. The Resident is an elderly
scotsman, quite nice and very quiet. Dickson I didnt like at first but he improved on acquaintance. He speaks Arabic
with a wonderfully good accent being born in Damascus. His English has a trace of an accent. The new Senior Naval
Officer seemed quite pleasant, much younger than Parry, our friend, the last one, who is now at Portsmouth. We
stayed a long time, till nearly two oclock. The Shaikh simply wouldnt move though I kept on trying to catch his eye.
Came ashore, it was better going back as the wind was behind us. The Resident and his party came ashore soon after,
in the interval I dashed back and got some lunch. The Shaikh received him in the Meglis at the Customs and we then
went on to the Municipal buildings where there was a reception by the Council and a number of the leading merchants
present. Yousif Kanoo was awful, so full of gush, he and Dickson embraced eachother loudly, also some of the other
merchants. Kanoo sat next to me and was most effusive, also talked about hoping that there would be another "little
`mustashar' (Adviser)" like me. Really it was rather embarrassing, but he meant it well, still at home people dont talk
quite so openly in public. Dickson made a short speech but said nothing. Afterwards we went for a bit of a drive and
then to dinner at the Agency. I had gone over before to leave cards and stayed about ten minutes. Quite a pleasant
party, only ourselves de G and Parke. Played Bridge afterwards with Parke and the Resident. The Resident doesnt
mind decidedly free conversation and was rather risky in his stories at dinner, but very amusing. I like the Resident but
am not sure about Dickson. The Resident is very properly anti Persian and very strong on Bahrain being quite
independent and having nothing to do with the Govt of India. He talked most interestingly about the doings of the
Shah of Persia in Bushire. The Shah first paid a visit to Abadan the headquarters of the Oil Coy and then came to
Bushire. In Abadan he was excessively rude to everyone and showed how much he disliked the A.P.O.C. from whom
he gets a Royalty of about half his revenues. At Bushire, among his own Persian people, he skuttled about like a
frightened rabbit in a closed car with a car full of soldiers following close behind apparently terrified of being
assasinated. The Persians dont like him. He has loaded them with taxes and his Army oppress them at every
opportunity, as the soldiers are never paid they have to make a living by extorting money from the unfortunate
inhabitants. This they do to great effect. At Bushire they had arranged all sorts of programmes for the Shah but he cut
them all out and hurried to the house of the Persian Governor. The Resident who had gone to meet him drove along
through the streets a few minutes later and was applauded everywhere as being the Shah.

Tuesday 15th [January]

Went over to the Agency in the morning at about eleven. Had a talk with the P.R. and discussed the question of de
Grenier. He said it seemed to him to be no business of Govt of India to tell the Shaikh that he was to cut down his staff
and he would do what he could about it, quite satisfactory. It is a pity that he loathes Sir Denys Bray so much.
Anything that Bray decided he is against. I have never heard a man in his position run down his superior so much and
so openly. He actually told Barrett to tell the Shaikh that Bray was the man who cleans the Viceroy's boots. Bray is
the Foreign Secretary and about the next man after the Viceroy in India. At dinner the Resident said to Mrs Barrett
when she mentioned Bray, "dont speak of that man or I shant be able to eat any more dinner." She didnt know what to
say, so awkward. Went out to the luncheon party at the Shaikh's at Sakhrir. I took the S.N.O.'s secretary in my car.
The party was, The Resident, Dickson, Barrett, the Senior Naval Officer, his secretary, myself, de Grenier and Parke.
As usual we were very late arriving and everyone had lunched except The Shaikh and Sulman. A much better lunch
than usual. The Shaikh showed off his hawks. Had a look at the new building at the house. It is really very nice.
After lunch we motored out to Rafaa and called on two of the Shaikhs there, in each Meglis there was a speech by one
of the younger sons of the Shaikhs. From there motored to Mohamed Yatim's garden and then, as it was nearly dark,