Page 448 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

446

1929

lacs of money, lacs of soldiers, and lacs of Political officers under his command, so naturally he has a fine horse!" He
is so comic when he shows off to strangers. He then talked about his friend Baldwin, then discussed me with the Dubai
Shaikh saying that I was really very young, only 24, I corrected him but he said all the same I was young, same age as
the "walad Sulman". Got a little business done and then went to the Biladya garden. The man was selling ices and
iced drinks and doing a good trade, crowds of people there. Went over to the Doctors before dinner. D.G. came to
dinner, had ices but not well made. D.G. stayed till nearly midnight and we went over the years figures and he showed
me his proposals for lighting the customs and his house, four lights in each of his small bedrooms!!! Cut them down to
two. He "saw my point" as he said. His whole house will be breaking out with switches at every corner. The Shaikh
of Dubai seemed quite a nice fellow. I am glad I have met him as if I get a chance I should like to go ashore there. He
wore an orange coloured turban like the Oman people and had a fine face and a little silver pipe in his turban. His
followers were savage looking people in orange and brown robes. He talked quite amusingly and sensibly.

Wednesday [12 June]

Wanted to see the Shaikh but he went off very early and I missed him. Prior came in after his Court then Mohamed
Yatim, more oily than ever and full of complaints about the expense of Hussein at Brighton. Called on the Kadis. We
sat outside on the veranda, pleasantly cool. They sat round me and mumbled requests for more pay, only not quite so
crudely, remarks about the expense of coming over from Muharrak, I pretended to be very dense. They want to have a
meeting to ask the public for money for the wakfs, a good opportunity for getting a committee pushed in. The fish
market is getting on well. The frame is all up now and only the roof remains. Tennis at Mespers. I was dreadfully
afraid D.G. meant to ask me to "pot luck" which I dislike, my own dinners being so much better, and certainly cleaner.
Prior is having a tennis tournament and giving some cups for it as a sort of return for winning the first and third horses
in the Wireless sweep. It is very public spirited of him. I am going in for everything, good chance of getting some
better tennis than usual. The aeroplanes are coming back on Monday and Prior to his intense disgust has to go down
the coast instead of Barrett. He dislikes it immensely and is very angry about it. Mrs Straker is furious about it as he
wont let her play in it and she says it means he will spend all his time playing and wont take her out at all. She was
really angry and the last straw was when Prior asked Straker to attend a committee meeting at five oclock, that being
the time that one goes out now. She is getting very fractious and shows it publicly.

Thursday [13 June]

Court. Started on the murder case. The girl was murdered by a man who had been living with her while her husband
was out diving, and possibly before. All of them Bahranis and living in the little village behind the Portuguese Fort.
He was a youngish man, rather a savage looking fellow. None of them seemed to take it very seriously, the girls father,
the chief witness, evidently enjoyed talking and made the most of giving evidence. A sordid affair. Motored out in the
afternoon with Prior to see the scene of the murder, a wretched little hut. He then went to his meeting and I went out to
Idari. After dinner went down the town with Saleh to hear some of the Muharram readings. Not a great many people.
Sat and listened at two Matems. One man was very good in a very melodramatic way. The matems are big buildings
rather like mosques, with rough arches and pillars, sometimes below the level of the ground. The walls and the pillars
are draped with black stuff and the floors covered with matting. The preacher sits on a sort of throne, dressed in black
robes with a coloured headcloth and an argul, crowds of men and boys sit all over the floor space. When the preacher
comes to the tragic parts they all sob and moan, rocking to and fro. The best preachers work up the audience to a
frenzy. One of them was certainly very good. Got back quite late.