Page 559 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Thursday May 29th 1930

Court. We now have two electric fans in the Court room which makes it very much cooler than it used to be.
The people pay very little attention to them and do not seem to be at all impressed. Motored out in the
afternoon.

Friday [30 May]

Various people, Arabs, came round in the morning; it always annoys me when they come on Friday as it is my
only holiday in the week and I like to stay long abed. Ali bin Mohamed Zayani called, a little pearl merchant
who is always in financial difficulties and very extravagant. He had just come back from India and talked very
interestingly about conditions down there. The English papers minimise the position, things are really very
bad indeed, bombs are being thrown on every possible occasion and lots of people have been killed. Bridge
at the Bank, one of the Darin Air Force men was there, a very second rate young man. We have won very
heavily at Bridge again, about five pounds again this month which is a lot when one plays for low stakes. It
annoys the Jordans so much, they being quite exceptionally bad players always go down. Tennis at the
Agency, rather a superfluity of Americans as Holmes men were there besides the Missionaries. Prior has
such extremly good teas, quite the best I have ever met here.

Saturday [31 May]

A flying boat arrived bringing the Resident for one night on his way down to the Trucial Coast where they are
having a lot of trouble with the Shaikhs. The Resident wants the people down there to allow the RAF to have
oil dumps but the shaikhs dont want it as they think it would be the thin end of the wedge and the beginning
of some sort of British authority which they dont want, the chief reason is that they are slave owners and
they know that once we got a footing we should fight against slavery. Apart from that there has been some
fighting among the Arabs there. Motored in the afternoon and went along to the Customs on the way back
and sat on the veranda of de Grenier's house for some time looking at the people coming off the mail boat,
quite an amusing sight. Saw the P.R. drive past with Prior. Afterwards we went up to the Fort with Parke and
stayed there till dinner time.

Sunday [1 June]

The flying boat went off early in the morning, we saw none of them. Went over to the Agency to hear the
news. The Resident has just come back from India where he has been staying with the Viceroy. His accounts
of India were very bad, the worst part is up on the north west frontier where all the tribes are rebelling and
have reacted to propaganda which is probably Bolshie at the back of it. Not much news of local interest.
Prior seemed very annoyed with him because he did not agree to give him some extra staff that he asked for.
I am still busy with my annual report I never seem to have time to work at it. Went out in the afternoon and
met the Shaikh who wanted to talk some business with me, he has adopted a very good plan of meeting me
out on the road some miles beyond the town which is much easier than going all the way out to his house.
Went to the Customs in the morning. Parke came in.