Page 522 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Thursday [6 February]

Mubarak came to call in the morning and stayed an hour trying to get me to increase his allowance. These
shaikhs are maddening the way they cadge for money. I pointed out to him that it couldnt be done, he was
very sulky. He is a nice young fellow but very extravagant and great ideas of his own importance. He told me
that he has 19 servants, men and women, quite absurd for a boy of his age with a young wife. I gather that
she is very fond of show and not economical. Abdulla came again about the schools. We got a reply from
the two headmasters saying that they would do no work until we agreed to every single thing that they asked
for. Very insolent. The school boys marched about the town singing songs and making speeches in a most
improper way. The people are very excited over the whole business. Decided to sack the two men and send
them off on todays boat, down to Muscat where they can get the up mail. Drove out in the afternoon, when
I got back I found the Muharrak headmaster waiting for me, very subdued. Gave him his pay and packed him
off. They are to go on board at midnight. There will be a lot fuss about it all. Last night Shaikh Sulman came
in the evening after dinner, at least after his dinner time and just at our dinner time, with a message from the
Shaikh about the Katifis and their passports. The Shaikh as usual is nervous of doing anything that might
possibly annoy Ibn Saoud. We went over to the Agency and stayed there till nearly nine oclock, a bore.
Drove out with Mohamed Khalil in the evening to see the road work, we are doing a lot this year, the roads
are better than they have been for years, and very necessary too as there is so much traffic, cars. People
called Parkin, staying at the Agency called, very commercial and very tiresome, a man and a youngish wife,
really awful. I gather that they asked themselves. One does have to meet dreadful people here.

Friday 6th [7 February]

Went out sailing in the morning with Prior in his little sailing boat. He brought two up from India, the doctor
and Jordan were in the other, we raced, and won as the others went into a bouy. I liked it, I dont feel sea sick
in an open boat and it was quite rough. Prior was going out to see the Shaikh but got very late and must
have been at least two hours after time. Then went a drive. Tennis at the Agency in the afternoon. Met
Prior's sister, she has come out to stay with him for a couple of months, seems nice, much older than him,
dark and rather solid but very pleasant and nice style, a relief after the other people one meets here. She
plays bridge well. We used the court for the first time since we mended it and it played very well.

Saturday Feb 7th 1930 [8 February]

Shaikh Abdulla came in the morning again and we had a long conference and interviewed one of the masters,
a man who is said to be the centre of the trouble at present. Abdulla is very good on these occasions, he can
make a long speech straight off without a pause and a very to the point one too. In the afternoon we
motored out to beyond the date gardens and met The Shaikh who had come in to look at his camels. We
went up into the tombs as I had brought the dogs, and tried to put up a hare but without success, then I sat
with The Shaikh and talked while he had his camels driven past and looked at them. He remarked to me,
quite seriously, as they were coming up, and the smell of them spread before them, "the scent of camels is a
very pleasant thing." I think he really thought so. I told him all the affair of the school masters, he seemed