Page 422 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

420

1929

Tuesday 12th March 1929

Drove out to call on the Shaikh in the morning taking Molson with me. He is better when he is on his own without an
audience. The Shaikh was quite interested in him and asked him a good many questions, quite a change for him to be
cross questioned. Several people were leaving as we arrived and as we departed a lot arrived, Yousif Kanoo and
others. We managed to miss them. The Shaikh was in very good form, his beard freshly dyed for the occasion. He
always leaves rather a gap under his chin so that one sees white hair below the blue back of the dye. He was very
handsomely dressed in a scarlet and gold embroidered coat and a white and gold abba, gold sword and daggar. The
servants all looked very smart in orange coats and white head cloths. Nice to have coffee again. Looked in at the
School on the way back. Great preparations going on for the Opening Ceremony on Thursday. The Head Master was
very busy fixing up decorations. Drove out towards Budeya in the afternoon and picked a lot of very pretty wild
flowers, mauve. Straker came in the evening to discuss the Landing rates which he considers very much too high. The
Silugi suddenly was taken ill, and died. I am very sorry about it, a great loss, he was such a nice affectionate dog as
well as being a very fine silugi. Very disappointing. I think he may have picked up a piece of poison, or else his bites
did it. He was very badly bitten and his neck was swollen very much. Very sad business, I shall miss him a great deal,
we both liked him so much. I seem to have bad luck with silugis. De Grenier and Smith came to dinner. Very
depressing evening owing to the dog. Started a heavy cold in the evening.

Wednesday 13th [March]
In bed all day with bad cold.

Thursday 14th [March]

In bed until tea time when I got up. People came to tea. Everyone went to the opening of the School. Very
disappointed at missing it as it was my show and really I made the School. The entertainment lasted 2½ hours, too
long, endless speeches. It seems to have been very well done, only de Grenier was very annoyed by it because he came
late and was put in a back seat, also I fancy he was angry at not being mentioned in the speeches. As he took no part in
the School I cant see why he should have been mentioned. M went to Muharrak with the Barretts in the morning to
call on Ayesha. Feeling very gloomy about the dog. "Siwa" misses him a lot, they were great friends.

Friday [15 March]

Didnt go out in the morning. Read and pasted some paper cuttings into a book. Went to the Agency in the afternoon
and played Bridge. Cold still very heavy but on the whole better.

Saturday 16th March