Page 516 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Very busy morning. Meeting of the Shia Wakf Department after going to the Fort before breakfast. Shaikh
Abdulla called and stayed for a whole hour talking about local affairs. He is very good company indeed. A
deputation of Shias from Katif came to me after the meeting of the Wakf Department and complained of the
oppression over there. I told them that I thought it very poor spirited of them to run away and leave all their
wives and families in Katif, they had complained to me that they were now being molested by Ibn Saoud's
people. The Wakf Department was very active. Went to Rafaa in the afternoon. The Dames, Pennings and
Jordans came to dinner. Rather a heavy affair, these Mission dinners tend to be dull. Dame is always very
interested about local doings and knows a lot himself. The Jordans stayed on quite a long time after the
others had gone.

Sunday [19 January]

Court. Motored round the gardens in the afternoon. The Biladya will be very nice in about a month, lots of
stocks, and other flowers. Fahad al Bassam came in before dinner, and also Mrs Holmes. There is a great
intrigue on organised by the Kozaibis against the Secretary of the Biladya. Abdu Ali came to see me and told
me about it. He is a helpful old man and gives a lot of useful information. Dined with Prior and ate jugged
hare, the one we got out hunting. Very pleasant evening.

Monday [20 January]

Went over to Muharrak in the morning to open the ballot box for the Municipal Election. Shaikh Abdulla and
his son and the Secretary were there. Only about one per cent of the people voted. They are so lazy. Two
Persians got in, the Persians know much more about these things and so probably canvassed the voters.
Stayed there about a couple of hours counting the voting papers. This is the first time there has been a
proper election here so it needs a bit of practice before they get the idea. Pleasant day, not too cold. Came
back to the Court on my return and took several cases. Sulman had been sitting. Mission tennis in the
afternoon, rather better tennis than usual. Prior came in afterwards. Heavy rain in the evening. The rain
this year is very late. The teas at the Mission are very nasty, one feels quite nervous of eating them, their
houses too are most uncomfortable, on the ground floor instead of being like all other people here on the
first floor. Being higher keeps it less damp. de Grenier is trying to get up a flirtation with the lady doctor,
Miss Tiffany, doesnt seem to advance far.

Tuesday [21 January]

Office all the morning, went through The Shaikh's accounts and saw various people. Busy day and late for
lunch. There was heavy rain in the night and the place looks awful, mud everywhere. Went out in the car
after lunch but couldnt go far as the roads in such a state. This place becomes awful when it rains. It will be
very bad for all the new work that we have been doing on the roads lately. Fahad al Bassam came round
again in the evening and had tea with us. James and he got on splendidly, James tried hard to seize hold of
his beard. He is a nice old man and always a great friend of ours. He used to be very intimate with the Dalys.
Talked to him about the intrigue of the Biladya Meglis, he had a lot to say about it. In the evening they took
possession of the house of one Khalul Bakr, a big pearl merchant who went bankrupt but ran away to India,