Page 413 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

411

1929

a mosque, the sons wouldnt admit it. They all got very angry and abused eachother but in the end they all shared one
car to drive back to the town in. These people are like that. They appear in Court and accuse eachother of every sort of
thing and seem to hate eachother but half an hour afterwards they seem quite friendly and perhaps have a meal
together. Some Persians who are mixed up in a case came to see me when I got back, got very annoyed with them. I
dislike Persians. Mespers in the afternoon. Two of the officers off the mail boat were there, awful people.

Thursday [14 February]

The Patrick Stewart, the cable boat, came in the afternoon. Went down to the Customs in the morning and had a look
at the repairs which have been done to the Import shed. It is an enormous building, stone and a tin roof. People to tea
and Bridge. The Captain of the Patrick Stewart and the Director of Telegraphs from Karachi came in and played
bridge. The latter is a man called de Smitt, a South African, quite nice. He is in the place of the Gunters who we used
to know quite well at Karachi. They asked us and the Strakers to dinner on the ship on Friday. There was some
awkwardness as some of us were playing bridge, Parke and the Strakers, when the new people arrived so there was
opportunity of introducing them at once which annoyed them. People here are so terribly fussy about that sort of thing.
The Barretts stayed on and played another rubber after all the rest had left, it surprised me. Pleasant not having so
many Courts and more spare time during this month. Very damp weather, the walls even inside the house are actually
streaming with dampness.

Friday [15 February]

Went down the bazaar in the morning. Saw the party from the ship in the distance. There are several women on board,
quite a house party, friends of the Director's. Went in to the Customs and borrowed some books from de Grenier and
then went up to the Bank for Bridge. Tennis at the Agency in the afternoon. Didnt get many games as there were so
many people there, all the ones off the ship. There were two married women and a girl, wives of Govt Officials in
India. The girl was a cousin of the Director's. One of the women was rather nice, a Mrs Bagnall, with white bobbed
hair, the other was a South African and very deaf. Dined on board. A beautiful cool smooth night. The dinner was
quite atrocious but it was a change seeing new people. There was Bridge and dancing. Mrs Straker got on very well
with some of the rather common ship's officers, just her style. De Grenier was there and usual made himself terribly
important and pompous as being the Port Officer. Really his new title has gone to his head. He and Straker quarreled
much on the launch as each gave opposite orders the boatmen. Pleasant seeing some new people for a change. They
had the deck all closed in and hung with flags like a big room. Some of the people off the ship were in the bazaar in
the morning and one of the women was smoking. A prominent member of the Municipal Council told them that no
smoking was allowed in the bazaar during Ramadan. They were rather amused but at once stopped smoking. Straker
heard of this in the evening and was furious saying, "I'd like to see anyone try to stop me from smoking in the bazaar if
I wished to, Ramadan or no Ramadan." That is typical of Mespers. They expect to get trade here yet they never pay
the smallest attention to the feelings of the Arabs. They think that because they happen to be English, and an English
firm that they can do as they choose and boss everyone. Its a foolish policy. All of us pay attention to the ideas of the
people, especially on religious matters, and they should do the same.

Saturday 16th Feb.