Page 441 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

439

1929

Monday 20th May

Went out paying calls in Manama in the morning. Did about half a dozen calls, met Prior at Abdu Ali's where we
stayed rather too long. Very hot day but dry. Read most of the afternoon. Reading a book called Dodsworth by
Sinclair Lewis, good, would annoy the mission, about Americans in Europe. Went out for a drive after tea taking Siwa
and then to dinner at Mohamed bin Ali Zayani's. Only a few people but enough food for a hundred. Got a message
from The Shaikh saying that the divers in Muharrak were making a fuss about selaf and asking for more Police. Sent
over twenty. Khalil Bakr has gone bankrupt and bolted to India via Kattar and Dubai. He is said to owe six lacs.
Bathed in Idari after dinner and then went across to see the show behind Sadic Hassan's house, a very low
entertainment, sort of acting and dancing and certainly very "oriental." Very hot day, slept on the veranda. The
Ghuffal is on Friday so the men are very busy over the boats and there seems to be hammering all day on the shore.
No further news from the mainland.

Tuesday May 21st

Went across to Muharrak fairly early in the morning after an early breakfast. Hot day but a good breeze, went by
launch but wished I had sailed. Found the Shaikh in the Customs office with a lot of narhudas and pearl people, also
Sulman and Abdulla. He was extremly irritating and very feeble, started talking in a futile way about the divers having
made a scene last night outside his house, and therefore they should be given a bigger advance. The nerhudas of course
agreed, except Abdu Ali, and I told him just what I thought. However he was pushed into it by the narhudas and
increased it from 100 to 130 and 80 to 100 really a most bad business. He talked almost as if it was his money that was
to be spent, not that of various merchants, it is easy to be generous with someone's else's money. Came back with him
in the launch. A crowd of servants and shaikhs. In the afternoon he came to call at the Agency, for no particular
reason unless about a case in the J.C. which he suggested should be handed over to me, Prior was very decided about it
and said certainly not, also told him what he thought about giving in to the divers so strongly that he agreed to cut off a
similar amount at the end of the season. Really he was most irritating. Hot day. Played tennis at the Agency, the
Strakers were there, afterwards dined there to support Prior who had the Pennings and Storms to dinner. A good dinner
but very heavy company. Mrs Storm looked very ill. Didnt get a bathe today.

Wednesday 22nd [May]

The Shaikh didnt come in, he told Prior that so many people called on him that he became quite exhausted. Mubarak
acted for him. Very busy with cases so we had an extra court to make up for the days missed during the Eid. A bore
but its a busy time. Mespers in the afternoon. For a long time no one else came. Poor tennis, and only got one rubber
of Bridge. There are not enough for two fours at present, great nuisance. Dined with D.G. A horrible dinner most of
which I didnt eat, sat there quite a long time listening to his gramaphone. Last night one of the murder prisoners
escaped. He prized open the stocks with a piece of board, smashed the door of the cell, one in the Shaikh's building,
and broke open the main gate in spite of two naturs holding it from outside, he just got out of the place and was shot
down on the step, he died later on, Khamais, one of the worst. It will save us a lot of trouble and expense, a pity the
others dont do the same thing. When I told Shaikh Sulman his remark was "gone to Gehenna". Straker and Mrs
Straker have taken to quarrelling a great deal in public, entirely her fault, it may be that she finds the heat trying,
though she doesnt seem to.