Page 558 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

the Agency in the afternoon and dinner there too as our cook is ill so Prior asked us over there. The two oil
men were there and the Dames. One of them was decidedly merry and the Dames looked very shocked.
After dinner we listened to the gramaphone. Worked in the office in the afternoon.

Monday 26th May

Down mail came in and my head clerk left. I shall miss him a lot. He is the only really capable man in the
office at accounts. Court in the morning. People to tennis in the afternoon, we had some of the Mission and
after they left we played Bridge. Quite a successful party. The court is very good and almost as good as a
cement court.

Tuesday 27th [May]

Meeting of the Muharrak Biladya. A dull meeting, I had not been to one for quite a long time. Afterwards
motored out to see a site to be given to some men who we are moving off the old fort at Muharrak which is
now to be made into a quarantine site. Found a nice place along the shore outside Muharrak. Came back
and landed at the Customs pier as the tide was very far out. Went to tennis at the Mission and afterwards
into the Agency with Parke. Stayed there some time talking to Prior who was very bright. Much cooler day,
it has been quite hot lately. The fans are very nice and make a great deal of difference in the court which
being an inner room used to be very hot indeed. The tea at the Mission quite horrible as usual, they go in for
very badly made soft sweet cakes.

Wednesday [28 May]

Very hot dry day, 104. in our dining room. The Shaikh came in in the morning to the Office and Holmes
presented him with the new car which he brought out for him, it is a six cylinder Hillman a closed car and
very nice but more the sort of car one sees in Paris or London than out here in Bahrain. The Shaikh got
rather peevish as Holmes was late. He has a mania about the sun, he makes far more fuss about it than any
European and is always sending messages to people to say that they are not to stand in the sun. Once at the
Palace I was with him when he saw the sentry marching up and down in front of the door and sent out to say
it would be better if he stood in the shade. The sentry, an Indian sepoy, was so astonished. Went down to
the J.C. afterwards to see about some business about the Govt doctor in Muharrak, an Indian who is
supposed to go out on the sailing hospital ship to the pearl banks. He doesnt like the job and has got the
people to make a petition asking him not to go, he is paid by the Govt. As usual the Shaikh said I was to do
what I thought best about it. Went to the Customs for some time. Our revenue is very bad this year. After
lunch went along to one of the schools to hear the exams. They have a queer way of inviting the parents and
others to come to the exams, its a sort of advertisement. Once the son of a big merchant was asked the
capital of England, his father was there listening with much pride, the boy said "Russia" at which the father
clapped his hands and said "good, clever boy" so the master left it at that as he did not like to expose the
father. Motored to the Portuguese Fort with James, he paddled in the sea and enjoyed himself very much.
Very hot and dry. Today is the end of the Arabic year.