Page 459 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1929

Tennis in afternoon and then we went out to Rafaa to dine with the Amir. The Shaikh was there and all the Khalifa,
quite a big party. It appeared that it was to celebrate the marriage of the son of Hamud bin Subah, but as he is one of
the people accused in the murder case neither he, or the bride's father, who is another of them, appeared as Prior had
written to say he did not wish to meet them. Dinner was inside in a rather stuffy meglis but before and after we sat on
the roof which was very cool and an attractive view over the turrets and castleated walls of Rafaa to the plains. On the
way back we went to Idari and had a bathe. The Shaikh sent in cars for us. Quite a pleasant entertainment. The
Shaikh was spending the night there. Very queer misty day. The shamaal began again and the weather is quite
pleasant and cool, certainly a record year.

Thursday [18 July]

Court. Didnt go out in the afternoon as it was such very unattractive weather, a sort of sand mist so thick that one
could see no sun at all and the whole house full of sand, not however very hot in fact quite cool. Reading Wilson's
book on the Gulf and comparing it with the local history of Bahrain of which I have a translation. Dinner at the
Agency with The Shaikh and Sulman. It was quite a success. Sulman seemed far more at home than his father and his
table manners were better. The Shaikh would use both a spoon and knife and fork to one plate, and then found no
room for them. The Doctor and Sadiq Hassan were there also, I suggested the Dr as he always gets on well with the
Shaikh. They left very soon after dinner. The meal was quite European in every way and we drank wine. Sulman had
some cider but didnt seem to get on with it and reverted to lemonade. Afterwards we three went out to Idari and
bathed. Really a very queer afternoon rather like a London fog but not damp. It was very nice in Idari, stayed there a
long time and then back to the Agency where we drank some iced shandy and so to bed.

Friday [19 July]

We had meant to go out to the pearl banks but the weather was too rough. Didnt go out in the morning. In the
afternoon Prior had a party at the Agency for the finals of the tennis tournament. Quite a crowd of people, all the
Shaikhs and all the clerks and the Europeans. The Shaikh gave away the prizes, he quite knows how to do it now
having done it so often at Schools etc. The tennis was quite good, Bridge afterwards but only one rubber. Mrs Straker
came but didnt stay. She seems extremly annoyed with me and Prior at present.

Saturday July 20th 1929

Fort in the morning, I go about four times a week before breakfast. Everything seems to be going on alright up there, I
have put the prisoners onto mending the roads, no reason why they should not do useful work. Shaikh Mohamed came
in in the morning to talk about the question of mixed ghee which has been agitating the Biladya lately and for the last
three years. People buy the good sort and mix it with the vegetable sort and sell as the good sort, making large profits.
As apparently nobody can tell the difference I dont see that it matters much. Went out to call on Shaikh Ibrahaim in
the evening with Prior. He is living out near the Portuguese Fort. Very pleasant out there sitting on the shore and
drinking coffee. He is a wonderfully well educated old man and seemed to be well up in a variety of subjects, baloons,
the name of Alexander the Great's horse, and various different things that one would not expect an Arab to know about,
as well as English politics. Bathed afterwards in Idari, all the European people there as usual.