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1929

time in Iraq and had been out there before just after the war. His name was Foggarty, at least I suppose its spelt like
that. After dinner we went out to Idari and bathed, he was delighted with it as most people are. His idea is that they
are considering having the air line down this coast instead of down the Persian coast. The Persians are apparently
giving a lot of trouble and they find it almost impossible to work with them. It will be splendid if we get the air mail
passing here, interesting to meet all the passengers and also so much shorter for the post. Hot day but fairly dry. There
is no doubt about the summer having arrived at last.

Saturday [17 August]

The aeroplane left at about eleven oclock after taking up people for ten minutes, at Rs 13/8 each for about an hour.
Crowds wanted to go and in no time they made £70. They had not enough petrol to do more trips. An easy way of
making money. Various people came in, Shaikh Mohamed and Sulman, Mohamed is cadging some land for the youth
who he has sort of adopted because he has great expectations and an estate in the Courts in Bombay worth several lacs.
Mohamed evidently expects to make a good thing out of him as he carts him round everywhere and I am sure he
wouldnt do so if there was not money in it. Sulman came to talk about the price for his land, he asked an absurd
amount. Went down the suk with Ali bin Hussein in the evening after it was shut to see some roads which they are
widening and then to the little Biladya garden which is not up to much as not enough water. In the evening to a sort of
meeting of the club to celebrate Mohamed's Birthday, quite interesting, speeches and a sort of talk on the incidents of
his birth and youth. Afterwards went out to Idari for a bathe and while I was there the Strakers arrived. Deliciously
cool there but very hot and damp in the town, still it is cool enough sleeping on the roof and often I pull on a blanket,
though other people say they never need even a sheet, on roof. They are doing a lot of widening work in the suk but
mostly small bits that are not very noticeable. Shut the office early owing to its being a religious occasion. Wrote a
long report on the trials to P.A.

Sunday 19th August 1929 [18]
Office in the morning. Dull morning but got done early, there seems a lull in work just now which is all for the best as
it is very hot. The people seem hardly to appear, one sees so few in the town. Only in the evening crowds of cars
come out with people driving out of the town. Went out in the evening in the car and had a look at the roads, they need
some mending. Most of this is now being done by prison labour, better than doing nothing in the fort. Dined with
Pack to meet Habib. Very hot. The Strakers and D.G. were the party. D.G. was intensly buttery to Pack, I wish he
wouldnt keep on making complimentary speeches. Played Bridge but was so extremly sleepy that I could hardly keep
my eyes open. Awfully damp. Habib is very dark with a queer accent, I fancy he is perhaps partly Turkish, he might
be anything, he doesnt look very jewish. Pack showed us a photo of his son and daughter, nice looking children with
very fine big eyes.

Monday [19 August]

Court. Sulman talked about the question of flags on cars, formerly only the Shaikh used one, now all of the Khalifa
have taken to using them. He agreed that it was better that only The Shaikh should show one. Tennis at Mission, so
damp that we only played one sett and then sat and ate ices among the flies. The flies are not bad anywhere else except
in the Mission, there they are awful. Abdu Ali called in the evening and I had a long talk with him, on the roof which