Page 483 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

481

1929

Court. Mohamed bin Ali appeared in place of Sulman, he yawns all the time and never has any ideas or opinions. A
dull unintelligent man of no education but typical of many of the Khalifa family. Mohamed Khalil came to see me in
the afternoon. I was glad to see him back after six months leave in India. He looked very well. We began dividing up
the plants and trees which he had brought from the gardens in Karachi. Unfortunately quite a lot of them are the same
sorts as we got from there before.

Tuesday 1st October

Didnt go to the Biladya meeting but spent most of the morning up in the Shaikh's garden planting the trees, quite hot in
the sun. I divided them out between the three gardens, we have eight plants of bourganvilla which I hope will grow,
once it is settled here it will spread all over the place as one can take shoots of it. No one has ever attempted to
introduce new trees and plants into Bahrain before. Bought a small carpet from one of the gardeners, a Blauchi it is
not a good one but a kind that one does not see here. The weather is quite cool now, at least not really badly hot
though very damp at times. I find that the Arabs consider that it has been an extra bad year, I cant understand it, it is
far cooler than two years ago to my mind.

Wednesday [2 October]

We are having much trouble about the site of the Power House for the electric light, first we put it near the wireless but
the telegraph people complained, then we found a site close to the Agency garden, and though Barrett approved Prior
did not, now I have wired again asking him to withdraw his objection. Went down to the Joint Court. Some of the
people are making a most tremendous and absurd fuss about the arrival of Mohamed Ali Zainal the great pearl
merchant. They had the nerve to suggest that he should be given a salute of guns and that the Shaikh should meet him
on the pier and then give a dinner party for him, as if it was anyone's business except the Shaikh's. Mespers in the
afternoon but had to leave early as I dined with the Shaikh to meet some Shaikhs from Oman who have come here to
study the question of boring wells in their country. There were four of them, very fine looking men, quite
exceptionally handsome with rather hooked noses, like hawks. Their servants carried short rifles all the time and
actually held them in their hands while they ate, most unusual and not done in Bahrain though I suppose it is necessary
in Oman where security is very different to here. They talked such queer arabic that I could hardly understand them
and at times the Shaikh did not know what they meant. Their retainers were black slaves and wore crimson or orange
coloured turbans, very effective. The Shaikh was in very good form and as usual when he has strangers he told stories
of the sights he had seen in England and especially about the horse show at Olympia and the trooping of the colours.
He is always so very pro British in his conversation and at the same time likes boasting about having been in England.

Thursday 3rd October