Page 528 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Ibn Saoud's visit was a complete fiasco. The boat appeared at about ten oclock, in the distance. We had
made all arrangements and had got together a guard of honour, Police, salutes and the whole show. Then
just before it anchored I got a message from Prior saying that he was not coming ashore. Shaikh Isa had been
fetched over from Muharrak and put at the Palace, very cross by it all, and all the rest of the Shaikhs were at
the Customs. I sent a message to the Customs saying that he was not coming and then went down there
myself, but found that the Shaikh had pushed off in a launch into the harbour. Went after him but he went
off to the boat. A most undignified proceeding. Supposing that he was not coming I dismissed most of the
guards and told the people who were waiting that it was all off, then I went home. As soon as I got back I
heard that the Shaikh was bringing him back but I took no further action feeling very annoyed. It seemed
that he landed and was met by the Negdis and a lot of riff raff from the bazaar who actually nearly pushed
him into the sea. With difficulty he and the Shaikh got to the cars and then motored up to the Palace where
he called on Shaikh Isa, who had been at the Customs on the point of going back to Muharrak. Then he
drove out to Sakhrir and we heard that he was to dine and sleep there. Altogether a most muddled affair
and really very annoying. Still I was not sorry. In the afternoon Prior and I, separately, motored out to
Sakhrir to call on him but when I got there I heard that he had left hours ago and sailed by launch from Zellag.
Had tea at the Agency when we got back and then went for a bit of a drive, dull gray day. I am not sorry that
he got so bad a reception, as the blame was altogether on him, still the visit will be a feather in the cap of the
Kozaibis who are over insolent as it is. I should like to have seen him myself. He had several Syrians with him
and a few slaves. One of the Syrians was his newly appointed Ambassador at the Court of St James, a man
who used to be a teacher at the Muharrak school and was DEPORTED for anti English propaganda. A comic
idea. On second thoughts I believe he is an Egyptian not a Syrian. As we motored out to Sakhrir we met
dozens of cars who had been to see him and missed him, very comic.

Wednesday 26th February

Quite a busy morning in the office. I had an interview with the man who we have made acting headmaster of
Muharrak school. A decent elderly fellow, a Syrian, with very sensible ideas. The school trouble is getting
better now but Muharrak is more difficult than Manama. Played tennis at Mespers and then Bridge, very
pleasant. Walker is a great improvement on Straker. The Patric Stewart returned and Marr, the captain,
came along after tea. I hear no talk about Ibn Saoud's visit except that he was very gracious to Shaikh Isa and
evidently made a point of regarding him very much as the Shaikh and Hamed as merely a son. Isa, in the
morning, had been very angry about the whole visit and referred to the King as "Shaikh Abdel Aziz bin Saoud"
never calling him King. It seems to have done less harm than I expected. I daresay the Kozaibis have told him
every sort of thing about me and my anti Saoudian policy in Bahrain.

Thursday 27th [February]

Shaikh Abdulla called in the morning and stayed a couple of hours. We discussed school affairs and various
other things, he was very lively and intelligent. He said that none of Ibn Saoud's people had let out anything
about the recent conference but he heard that they were not altogether pleased by the results. One of the
local Negdis had tried hard to pump them. He said the King was a great talker and went in for religious talk a