Page 480 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

478

1929

girl. As he is the Shaikh's eldest son it would be better to have sons. Went out to Gedhafs in the evening to negociate
about buying a piece of a house to widen the road. Had coffee and horrid drinks in the house and then came back and
met the Strakers at the Fort so went round to Mespers. The Shaikh passed us on the road on his way back from his
hunting trip. Bathed in Idari with Straker and Barden, lovely out there, a full moon.

Friday 18th September [20]

The other people went out in a launch to the pearl banks. After much discussion Mrs Straker decided not to go, he
didnt go either. Stayed in in the morning and went up to see the Shaikh in the evening. He seemed very lively after his
fortnight out in the country without any worries. He had a lot of people in his Meglis among them an itinerant Syrian
journalist. They are always coming down here to beg from the Shaikh. Didnt much care for the looks of the fellow, he
wore European clothes but an arab headdress. Went over to the doctors till dinner time. D.G., Jordan, Bienenfeld and
Ben Simon and Barden came to dinner. Played bridge. D.G. went to sleep, they were all rather tired after the sea trip,
it sounds to have been very uncomfortable.

Saturday 21st September

Meeting of the Muharrak Biladya instead of last Tuesday. Went over in a launch and took Jordan with me. While I
was at the meeting he drove round the town and had a look at the place and then came back to me. Dull meeting and
very short. They are far more pleasant to deal with in Muharrak than in Manama, mainly because in Manama there are
so many foreigners. Office when I got back. In the afternoon a picnic at the Portuguese Fort given by the Strakers,
quite pleasant, I took her and John in my car. There were quite a crowd of people, all the pearl merchants and the
Doctor, bank etc. Rather a messy tea and badly made cakes. Afterwards some of us went to Idari for a bathe.

Sunday 22nd [September]

Took Jordan to call on the Shaikh in the afternoon. There were a lot of people from the mainland in his Meglis. I
thought he was not looking well and the doctor, who came later, said he had evidently been disregarding his diet during
his last trip out on the desert. He wants to buy a car for his father Shaikh Isa, his first idea was to give him one of his
own that he does not require but the obstinate old man wouldnt have it and demanded a new one, probably put up to do
so by some of the relations. I suggested that Abdulla and Mohamed might go shares with him but he wouldnt agree to
this. It is absurd, a ford car would be more than good enough for the old man. Dined at the Bank, Barden, Ben Simon
and Bienenfeld. Felt rather queer after dinner and when I got home had bad tummy ache, there must have been
something queer in the food, perhaps the fish, though it was quite a passable meal and very plain. The Shaikh was
struck with the likeness of Jordan to Major Holmes, both stout and ruddy and rather noisy in their manner. The Arabs
will think that all engineers are made in the same mould.

Monday 23rd [September]