Page 597 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Went to look at a house which we propose renting as the girls' school, quite close to the Mission. It will be almost
opposite Mrs Dame's school which she wont like. Then to the Customs. Motored to the top of the Rafaa road in the
evening. Very misty day, yesterday was even worse. The diving boats came in yesterday as it is Ghuffal, the end of
the season. Lots of very wild looking divers about, blacks from the south of Oman and from Aden, long haired Arabs
and great big Persians. Some are very picturesque and appear never to have seen Europeans before, specially
women as they simply gape at the car when we drive along through the town.

Monday [29 September]

Court. Sulman back. The Shaikh came in before we had started. He brought with him the son of the Omani shaikh
who is staying with him, a fat unprepossessing man, he was going down the bazaar to get some teeth put in and they
asked my advice about having white or gold. I advised white, being cheaper and knowing that probably The Shaikh
would have to foot the bill, but they seemed to like gold best, it is considered ornamental. The Shaikh told the Omani
a long story about how James was very very ill, could hardly lift his head, so he came down and said prayers over him
and at once he sat up, recovered. As a matter of fact James when he came was asleep. The Shaikh made out that he
had performed a sort of myracle. The Omani man was most impressed and evidently rather surprised at the Shaikh
being on such familiar terms with my family. The Shaikh has evidently made it into one of his stock stories, like the
descriptions of things he saw in England. The Shaikh and I and Sulman discussed the idea of his paying a visit to the
Shaikh of Kuwait. Sulman was really against it but the Shaikh seems to like the idea. We steered him off the idea of
going by the mail boat and got him to consider either by launch or a boat here that has both sails and engine. In the
afternoon we went out to the boring taking the dogs, they are trying to move the piping in order to put down a bigger
one.

Tuesday 30th September

Went over to Muharrak for the meeting of the Biladya, quite a good meeting. They discussed making a law that no
boys under 18 were to be allowed into coffee shops unless with a grown up relation. Shaikh Abdulla discussed the
difference between the ways of white women and Eastern women, how white women could go about with men
without it being considered a shameful thing, all because in the West women had equal rights to men. The members
seemed to be very reasonable on the subject. Came back at about midday and then worked in the office. Tennis at
the Mission. The Pennings were there, both looked very well. They had been in India at a hill station. He is always
very gauche and got hold of the doctor and began making most ill judged though well meant remarks, then, a few
minutes later, he started talking about mixed marriages between whites and blacks, and as the doctor is about 14
annas in the rupee that was equally untactful. Parke came in afterwards for a drink.

Wednesday [1 October]

Went up to the Biladya garden with Ali bin Hussein to see about an irrigation channel which I want them to make.
Jordan came to see me, he really is most inaccurate, he brought me a statement of the last months electric payments
which seemed very good, two days later he sent to say it was wrong. Not a very busy morning in the office, just now