Page 554 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Kattar, is very angry at our not sending them back and has sent several messengers about it. We went over
to the Agency and drafted a reply to the Shaikh of Dohar, then came back here and had a long talk with the
messenger. The Shaikh was really quite clever as he talked unceasingly about his love for his "brother" The
Shaikh of Kattar, so that the messenger hardly got a word in, whenever there was a pause he drew me into
the conversation and I carried on in the same way, eventually we sent him off with a vague reply that we
would consider the matter after the diving season, typically Arab to merely put a thing off. Worked at the
Budget. Tennis at the Mission, they have changed their day to Tuesday from Monday. Awful show, none of
the Mission men were there and I had to play most of the time with Mrs Dame who is elephantine and only
hits balls that happen to come near her. Parke came in after tennis, talked to him about the proclamation
which we are publishing tomorrow about the divers' advances, the amount is to be much lower than usual so
it is expected that there will be a row and perhaps some attempt to loot the bazaars as there was some years
ago. Parke was very full of the arrangements that he had made and I am sure that if there is no row he will
consider it entirely due to his organisation. The down mail came in with two American men belonging to the
"Bahrain Petroleum Company Ltd". This is the name of Holmes' show now a days.

Wednesday 14th May

Went down to the Joint Court and had some papers signed by the Shaikh, then to the Customs for some time
and then called on Abdel Rahman Zayani in his office in the bazaar. After some time Yusuf Fakroo and two of
the Dawasir Shaikhs came in. Talked about various pearl seasons and the Jewish pearl merchants, they were
saying that some of them when they came to Bahrain had absolutely no money at all but happened to come
in a season when pearls were cheap and made enough to start off with. They also discussed Mohamed Ali
Zainal, they said he has no children, but as he has acquired such a reputation for piety and charity as well as
in commerce this does not matter to him. We issued the Diving proclamation, there was no excitement
about it. Motored up towards Rafaa and then to Idari where I am having a little work done on the edge of
the pool which will make it more comfortable for the people who bathe there. Mohamed Khalil was there,
bathing, but hurriedly scuttled out when we arrived. He had his small son with him, a very solemn little boy
very like his father. Went over to the Agency after dinner to speak to Prior about some business.

Thursday 15th [May]

Shaikh Rashid bin Mohamed came in the morning to talk about the business of the divers making a fuss. He
thinks we are unwise in putting the selaf so low. He said he would do all he can to persuade them to behave
properly. Busy morning, had a court as we have so many cases just now, afterwards saw Abdel Latif and
various other people. We dealt with a case about a relation of the Kadi of Hedd and the old Kadi came round
from the Shera Court and tried to argue with us on behalf of his relation, very unsuitable, I told him that as
we never came and interfered with his cases I should like him not to interfere in ours, he pretended not to
hear. Rumours of excitements in the bazaar and as usual the Jews and Hindus got in a panic, the Jews came
hurrying round to the Agency and said they were afraid of being raided, the Hindus began removing their
money from the offices, all tends to make a panic, actually nothing happened. Went to Rafaa in the evening
to a show at the school, quite amusing, the small boys sung and recited and did little plays and did sums on a
large blackboard, they seemed very bright. Went in to the Biladya garden on the way back and took a few
flowers. Had a dinner party, we were eight, Parke, the Jordans, Walker and Hamilton. Played Bridge. A very