Page 640 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

638

1931

expression I do not care for. Parke, having lost exactly the stake that we started with suddenly jumped up and said he was very
tired and went home. More rain in the evening. The silugi bitch very bad with distemper. The Shaikh has lost half a dozen
dogs and a man in Muharrak lost 14. A lot of the wiring in the houses has gone queer as the rooms are full of water, all roofs
leaking. My house has not been affected and has not leaked again really.

Wednesday 11th Feb;

No rain in the daytime but some in the evening. Went with Ali bin Hussein to see some drains that the Municipality are
making to remove the water. While working there they dug up a little earthenware vase with a Greek inscription on it, quite
clear, it is a thing of very great interest as it proves that the Greeks were here which has never before been known. I shall send
the writing home. He gave it to me but I am not sure that I should take it, it ought to go in a Museum. Went for a walk with
Prior before tea round the town and along the Sea Road the mud was awful. Then had tea and went up to the Fort to play
Bridge, Parke Barden and Walker, and then to dinner with the de Greniers. Prior and the parson were there. The latter is a
Socialist and annoyed me by some of his remarks so I told him how much I liked the Morning Post and what I thought about
the Govt. Prior very bored and made no effort to hide it, played roulette and discovered that the numbers stopped every time
on one or other side of the four arms of the thing that turns round. Told them after a time as I found I was winning heavily so
we washed it out. A very dull dinner indeed.

Thursday [12 February]

Office in the morning and later on went over to Muharrak to see the Quarantine building with Prior who had not seen it since it
has been built. The old tower now looks like a sort of tea garden place, very much renovated with steps, one expects to see
little tables on it. The buildings are very nice, really too good for the place. We went in a joliboat, a good sailing day. Very
stormy looking sky but a few minutes sun, the first there has been for a long time. The Shaikh has been getting into money
difficulties again and sent in a list of debts for about Rs 20,000 asking me to try and find the money to pay them. I shall
suggest his selling something or borrowing from the bank and paying back monthly. He really is annoying, I felt very angry
about it. Gardened in the afternoon as the weather looked so queer that I didnt fancy going out. Parke came in to tea. Shaikh
Abdulla's motor driver ran over and killed a girl in Muharrak and he hushed it up. A bad business and Parke is very angry
about it. Abdulla bin Jabr came in the evening to tell me some bits for my history which I was not sure about, he stayed a long
time so I was late for dinner.

Friday [13 February]

Bank in morning, walked there and came back in Holmes' car. Went out to meet the Shaikh at the Bridge in afternoon and then
to the Agency for tea. Prior and Tiff and Holmes and Hakken went out sailing and didnt come back till all the Mission had
gone. Mrs Hakken was very angry about it. Barden was supposed to be acting for him.

Saturday 14th Feb 1931