Page 517 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

by orders of the Agency court. It will create a great stir here. He is said to owe four lacs in Bahrain and much
more in other places in the Gulf. Prior came round before dinner, he generally drops in in the evenings. The
School Inspector has a scheme for combining the Shia and Sunni school committees into one, an excellent
plan but its not easy here to make the two sects work together.

XXXXXXXXXXX QUI

Wednesday 22nd January

Court. Prior went to Katif, to my mind rather a rash proceeding as at the moment there is a lot of trouble
over there about the oppression on the Shias who are mostly Bahrain subjects. I told him that very likely he
would meet a demonstration there. He is to stay with the Amir and so it will be awkward if the Shias
complain while he is the Amir's guest. Went out in the afternoon to see some of the work done on gardens
and repairs to mosques by the wakf department. They have done quite a lot and the property looks much
better than it used. Took with us an old man called Haji Sulman bin Selim, very fat and with a wide
reputation for eating huge amounts. He quite weighed down the car. I made him come with me to all the
gardens, we did quite a lot of walking and he sweated as if it was the middle of the summer. At both the two
villages that we went to they produced food, the usual tray of sticky sweets, fruit, tinned peaches and coffee
and very nasty tea, mostly milk and sugar. They took the trays out to M who waited in the car outside and
when they returned I heard them all asking anxiously whether she had eaten anything. The village people
are very friendly and I really believe they like me as I stick up for them. They said how much better it is to
have the wakfs administered by themselves and me than by a Kadi and a lot of religious people who pocket
all the money and spend nothing on repairs. Barden and Walker came to dinner and we played Bridge. They
both play quite well so I enjoy playing with them, most people here play badly. Very cold again. The weather
is very variable this year and the rains heavier than usual and later. Very calm sea and lovely sunset. The
sunsets just now are quite wonderful.

Thursday [23 January]

Court. Much warmer day till evening when a shamaal blew up, a very strong one. I dont envy Prior if he has
to travel in it in a launch. M went out in the afternoon to call on one of the Shaikh's wives and another lady.
I painted and then gardened and gossiped to the garden who is an amusing fellow and has a lot to say about
local affairs. He asked how many children Prior had, and when I said he had none as he was not married he
was quite amazed, especially, as he said as with us there was no matter of a dowry and one got wives free.
He thought it most unsuitable. We have three tortoises and a huge turtle in the tank in our garden. The
turtle is quite tame and eats out of ones hand. Shaikh Abdulla called and stayed about two hours, he was
very bright and most amusing talking about the people here. He has a great sense of humour, so unlike his
brother Mohamed who has none. Violent shamaal suddenly blew up in the evening. James goes out now
with the ayah for a walk along the sea road every afternoon. She and he enjoy it very much. Prior was due
here in the afternoon but did not arrive, Abdulla said that he had heard they had a bust up at Katif and the
Arab tribes had been mobilised, but no definite news of it. Hope Prior was alright.

Friday 24th Jan 1930