Page 526 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Wednesday [19 February]

Had a long talk with Haji Sulman the Arab Superintendent of Police. He told me a few things about the Amir
of Manama who is a Khalifa, one of the royal family, and who does nothing but struts about with a belt full of
pistols and daggers and carrying a sword but is very lazy and very useless and over paid. It seems that his
force, armed watchmen, are treating people very badly. A case of a man making a lot of dud gold coins.
Abdel Latifs sons came in, one of them had been summoned and didnt come so I sent him to the Fort for a
night to teach them to respect the Government. They are a saucy crowd, all the Dawasir crowd are. They
are the people with whom we had so much trouble when Daly was here and most of them retired from
Bahrain to the mainland in a huff. Tennis and tea at the Agency, Walker played bridge. The Dames came to
call, very much in their calling clothes. Down mail arrived, several letters from Europe. They seem to come
this way now. Warm day. Prior is full of ideas of having all the Agency done up, I dont know where he gets
the money to do it all. He talks of having a wooden floor water laid on and all sorts of luxuries. He had
meant to have a period room, an absurd idea in the Gulf.

Thursday [20 February]

Sea fog in the morning and quite cold again, the weather is very changeable just now, one day hot the next
cold. Went to the Power House with Jordan before breakfast. He has got an English Engineer putting in the
engines, quite a decent young man called Moss. Scotch as usual. Went over to the Agency to talk to Prior
about D.G's contract, he has no passages in his and Prior considers he should not get any as he gets more pay
than me or Parke. I was there quite a long time. Jordan came in and we discussed various things about our
lighting. He has got some special fittings for us which will annoy all the other people very much. Came up
early from the office. Rain in the afternoon so went out for a drive with the dogs, we had been going to play
tennis at Agency. D.G and Barden came in to tea and Bridge. James goes out a walk, in pram. twice a day
along the sea front now. Queer weather, thundery.

Friday 21st February. 1930

Fine day. Mrs Holmes came in in the morning. Painted for some time. I am doing a scene outside the
Shaikh's house in Muharrak with him in it but it isnt going well. Picnic at the Portuguese Fort given by Barden
and Walker. We drove out there separately arriving about twelve oclock. There were ten people. First we
scrambled about the Fort and went into some of the rooms, there are a few still intact, stone built and with
domed ceilings and loopholes. They have stood wonderfully well. Had lunch in the moat, which is dry, in the
shade of the walls. They had tables and trestles and a very good lunch. One of the Flying men from Dareen
was there, a fellow called Hamilton, quite a nice fellow. After lunch we came home. It was very pleasant out
there, not too hot and the place looking very pretty. The place is a fine old building and there is quite a lot of
it still standing, all made of solid squared stone. Tennis and tea at the Agency, had some very good tennis
and Bridge. A very pleasant day and quite a lively one. We seem to have been very social this week, out
almost every day to something. I wish though that there were a few more people, there is rather a
monotony in always meeting the same people at every entertainment.