Page 494 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

492

1929

Biladya meeting in the morning. Prior attended. Talk about the Electric light. We had the meeting early. Prior called
on the Crocus and came to the meeting in full uniform, white and gold. He looks very smart in it. I rather wish I had a
uniform of sorts. Tennis at the Agency. FitzRoy and several of the officers were at the tennis. In the evening we had a
dinner party of ten, Prior and FitzRoy, the Strakers, the Jordans, Bienenfeld, Barden. It was a great success, a very
good dinner and well served, no pauses or silences. FitzRoy talked for a long time to Marjorie about "the Duke" and
all the others listened with the most obvious and rather angry interest. I dont know if he did it on purpose but I am
afraid it will cause us to be called even more snobbish than ever. It was really very comic to watch the expressions of
the people. Played Bridge afterwards. Altogether a most successful party. FitzRoy seems most pleasant and
determined to show that he is a relation.

Wednesday [6 November]
FitzRoy called on The Shaikh in the morning at the Joint Court and almost immediately afterwards the Shaikh returned
it. Quite smooth. The Crocus has a very poor cabin. The Shaikh seemed rather bored. In the afternoon we went out
coursing, I and FitzRoy and two of his officers, one of them had been at school at Bedford, but long after I left. Prior
was coming but at the last moment he was not able to but sent his very nice new Studebaker car. We went to beyond
Zellag a place on the coast and hunted for about two hours without putting up a hare, in spite of being told by a little
Arab girl that they were as thick as a flock of sheep, the little liar! Afterwards went in to Mespers. The atmosphere
there was extremly frigid as evidently Mrs Straker was furious at my having taken FitzRoy off for the afternoon. I
found him extremly nice and most amusing about queer people in East Africa. He asked us to go out to dinner on
board but we didnt as really it seemed rather rough. Some of the young women of the Mission apparently went calmly
out to the ship with De Grenier and called on it. These Americans are not shy, nor do they know what is done or not
done.

Thursday [7 November]
Court. Talked to Shaikh Sulman about the pearl case. I cant get him to settle the sentence, he doesnt dare to suggest a
suitable one, which would be prison, as his dear uncle would make himself so nasty about it. Some plants which I had
ordered from India arrived last mail and they never told me but planted all of them in the Biladya garden. Really very
irritating. We went up there in the afternoon. Also I found that they had sacked the head gardener who is the only man
who knows anything about the garden. D.G. and Parke came to tea and Bridge and while we were playing Prior came
in, a pity he doesnt play. Parke was rather tiresome, he has such bad manners and if playing in some one else's house
always goes on with a new rubber without asking if one wishes to. I got up firmly when we had played what I thought
enough and so he seemed rather huffy about it.

Friday [8 November]

Shaikh Mohamed came to call in the afternoon. Shaikh Hamed gave his tiresome old father a very fine new car, cost
about £500, the old man drove in it once and then said he didnt like it, not big enough. Such a waste of money, he
deserves nothing. Went up to the Biladya garden and removed a few of the plants. Tennis at Agency in afternoon. A
lot of Missionaries. Rather amusing as the people were so comic. Mrs Straker in the morning at the Bank apparently