Page 472 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

470

1929

come. Arrived just about sunset. There is a delightful little house there now built in the sea at the end of a little pier on
pillars, after the style of the slaughter house in Manama. Had a walk round and looked at the new well and then had a
bathe and dinner. Very good dinner, chickens and rice, lots of tinned fruits and very nice melons. Afterwards we sat
outside on the veranda and played the gramaphone. Abdulla bin Jabr, who arranged the party, brought a dozen bran
new English records, good ones too. Very cool, the wind was from the shamaal. A pleasant change from the office
and Manama.

Friday [23 August]

Got up at sunrise and had a bathe in the tank, it is big enough to swim in a little and very good sweet water, different to
the wells in Manama. Went out coursing after breakfast but didnt get anything. Came back and slept till lunch time.
An excellent lunch. Slept till tea time and then went out hunting again and got one hare. We put up four but the others
were too far off and the dogs didnt see them. Bathed again in the sea and then played the gramaphone till dinner time.
After dinner we sat outside and watched the men dancing till bed time. Ate enormous meals, I suppose the change of
food and air gives one such an appetite. The black boy did a sort of skirt dance in the evening, a most comic sight, the
others danced very well. One of the Arab records was a diving song taken at Kuwait, very good with all the sounds
and orders that one hears when the boats come in here at night. The men wanted it over and over again. Straker enjoys
the change extremly. The island seems very cool and no flies of mosquitoes. The little house is a great success.

Saturday [24 August]

Left the island after breakfast and returned to Budeya in the launch. Motored in from there. Rather stiff after so much
walking. Went down to the office after a wash and a shave, we didnt shave while we were out there and I had quite the
beginnings of a beard but hadnt the nerve to leave it on. Various people came in, Shaikh Sulman among them. Very
windy day, a strong shamaal. Slept all the afternoon and then went along to the Wakf Department and had a talk to the
people there. They are very slow and their ideas of book keeping are primitive. Stayed there till it was quite dark.
Haji Sulman and Ali bin Hussein came in the evening. No news of any interest.

The day before we went out Kozaibi brought the prize pearl to the office to show to the Shaikh, quite the
most beautiful one I have seen, simply enormous and perfect shape and colour. They say it will eventually reach three
lacs, about £25,000, for a single pearl. It will be a record if it does.

Sunday August 25th 1929

Office in the morning, various people came in. Wrote letters all the afternoon and didnt go out. Dull day.

Monday [26 August]

Shaikh Abdulla came in to discuss the matter of the Civil List reductions. He was very sensible about it and said that
of course it cant go on increasing at the present rate, though he personally would always like more money he quite saw
that unless there was a big increase in revenue it couldnt increase more than it is and he agreed that the present amount