Page 440 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

438

1929

Went down to see the Shaikh at Joint Court. He was very much occupied with private business and seemed to be
paying no attention at all to the cases, and as Prior doesnt yet know a great deal of Arabic they were being settled
mainly by the clerk Abdel Razak. The Shaikh is sending a telegram to the King congratulating him on return to health.
I hope he gets an answer. A lot of people waiting for me at the Office when I got back, among them Barden to talk
about a site for building a new bank. I should like them to have the site on the sea road near Mespers. Didnt get up till
very late. After tea Prior and I motored out to the Portuguese Fort and got back about sunset. Very pleasant out there
and seemed cooler than the town. The Eid is tomorrow so The Shaikh said of almost everything that I asked him, "we
will think about it after the Eid." Next time he will say, "after the end of the year". Prior and I went in to the Customs
in the morning to dig up some statistics of Customs returns during recent years. Barrett when he came said that the
letter about D.G. was not strong enough so I drafted a different one which The Shaikh signed. Really he is very little
interested in the matter at all. Dinner at D.G's. Took Prior along in the car. The party consisted of us, Barden and the
Strakers. Mrs S and Prior got excessively lively and S looked very angry. Prior was really most outrageous and
imitated her and called her Darling. She wasnt sure whether she liked it or not. The others were decidedly
embarrassed by it, I was extremly amused. We played roulette. I ended up exactly level. If Prior continues there will
be a row, I told him so, still it was very funny as she didnt realise that he was putting on her sort of genteel accent all
the time.
Fired the guns for the Eid. Late getting back as the dinner only started at half past eight.

Sunday 19th May

Went over to Muharrak with Prior and Cedik Hassan to pay Eid calls. Went first to Shaikh Isa, he seemed tiresomely
fit and kept on telling us that the few people who there are of his age, or older, are very different to him, not so fit and
sensible, etc etc. He seemed very chatty about his age. I asked him what he thought about the sea road and he said he
had heard talk about it but didnt think it could be done, nor was it necessary. I rather agree with him. I repeated this at
each house we called at and it caused much interest. Called on Abdulla, Rashid, Ibrahaim, Bin Hindi Ali bin Seggar
and Y. Fakru. Very hot damp day, they were all complaining of the weather. Really sticky and difficult to keep dry.
We were rather late calling and I thought the merchants seemed a little bored, it was time for their lunch and sleep.
Abdulla was gorgeous in thick cream silk covered with silver thread embroidery and a white abba. Ali bin Abdulla
drove us in Abdulla's car and took us all round the town, he looked quite exhausted by the time he had done, and he
wouldnt come in to any of the houses. I tried to persuade him to let us get a taxi but he wouldnt allow it. He doesnt
drive any too well. Got back at one oclock and in the evening we went off again to call on the Shaikh at Sakhrir, taking
Prior, the Superintendent and Sedic Hassan. I drove. The Shaikh had a huge Meglis, there must have been a couple of
hundred people, he and all the Shaikhs sitting on the seat alongside the new building, facing the Mountain, and three
rows of Arabs sitting in front of them on mats. Wished I had brought a camera. A lot of people came and went while
we were there. The Shaikh, and all the others, asked much about the family and Hamed. They are evidently very
pleased at the name. Motored back after sunset and after dinner Prior and I went out to bathe in Idari. On our way
back we passed the Mespers party going out there. Lovely night, bright moonlight and very nice bathing. Khalil Bakr
has gone bankrupt and retired to Hassa, there is a lot of talk about it, all his property is mortgaged to Kanoo but he
owes large amounts in India and other Gulf Ports as well as here. Shaikh Isa seemed quite friendly and even laughed
several times, at the idea of the sea Road. There was a sort of dance outside the huts behind Sadic Hassan's and I went
down and had a look at it when I got back, divers and slaves, drums and a sort of bagpipe, quite amusing.