Page 461 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

459

1929

Mespers at once as they offer it at a much smaller price since Prior wrote to the Board of Trade at home about cement.
Khalil Moayad was waiting for me when I got back, very fed up when I told him we would not lease for more than 100
years. He says it is such a short time! Dame came round to see me about some land. Gave him a cheque for Rs 300
from the Shaikh for the horse. Had all the applicants for the Shaikhs suk in and tried to get a better price by auctioning
it, they were very cold but finally got a bid of 27,000 for the year, last year we got 32000. Mohamed Sherif came to
call. He says there are bad disturbances in Persia among the tribes. Tennis at Mespers and then to dinner with Prior. I
really must have some people to dinner.

Thursday [25 July]

Court. Bathed in Idari. Dined with Pack, the Strakers and Prior and D.G. were there. Played vingt et un. He has the
house which I hired for a school, seems to suit him quite well as it has a wide veranda on which he practically lives.
Very good dinner, champagne.

Friday [26 July]

Went to the Bank in the morning but got there too late for Bridge. Pack was giving a curry lunch. They dont appeal to
me. Agency in the afternoon. The Superintendent of Police has got himself into another mess by hitting a taxi driver
and then making a case against the man for looking into the bathing pool at Abu Zaidan when the Superintendent's wife
and some other women were bathing. As it happens they had no right to be there as it was not the ladies' day. It
sounds very fishy. The man is a Persian so the case is being taken at the Agency. The Superintendent constantly
comes and wails about it to me, but its all his own fault. The man was said to have ridden by twice on the step of a car
looking through the door of the bathing place. He denies it.

Tennis at Agency. Seemed to be very few people as none of the remaining Mission came. Much better
tennis. Bridge.

Saturday [27 July]

A little behindhand with the diary so can remember nothing. Went out in the afternoon looking for houses built on
Govt land without permission. Made quite a haul. Then to the Agency for awhile. Prior very busy. He decided that
he has not time to go out hunting tomorrow on the Shaikh's island.

Sunday [28 July]

Got up at half past three, as the Shaikh's car was to come at four thirty but as it didnt arrive the doctor and I went off in
mine with two men and the dogs. Got to Budeya and found the tide out. All very badly organised, which is unusual
with the Shaikh's entertainments. Waited there nearly two hours till the launch came, it couldnt get near before owing
to tide. Sat in the Meglis of Abdel Latif and talked to his son Ibrahaim who told us about the doings on the mainland.
Interesting. The Ibn Saudites seem really in a bad way but I fear they will recover, they always seem to. Budeya
looked very pretty from the sea with the sunrise on the houses, but inside it is getting more and more tumbledown.