Page 8 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

7

1926

we motored out to the Sheikh's country house in the middle of the Island where he likes to live among his horses &
dogs & camels, hawking & motoring, & doing no work. We started late so it was dark before we arrived. M & I, Daly,
Mrs D & the boy, & a fellow called Holmes, an Australian, but rather nice who has got an oil concession, & H's Arab
agent, in two cars. Drove through date groves & gardens & then across a stretch of desert past a great plain covered
with burial mounds - never excavated! We reached the village after dark. Drove past a number of tethered donkeys
& camels. A crowd of Arabs round the door of the Sheikh's smaller audience room. The Sheikh greeted us outside. A
nice old fellow with a pleasant intelligent expression in white robes & the usual Arab camel hair head ornament. A
handsome room, about fifty feet long, no furniture, just carpets & a few cushions propped against the wall, & a big
round grass mat in the centre. Sat & talked for some time. I spoke a bit, & found I could understand a good deal of
the Arabic though its very different to the Egyptian pronounciation. Several notables came in & were introduced but
only the Sheikh & Holmes' agent stayed inside. The walls were white with square window spaces with most beautiful
Arabesque patterns cut out in them. Handsome carved wooden doors & windows along one side of the room, & a
very attractive roof made of wood from Zanzibar. Cool & pleasing to the eye. A dozen boys brought in the supper
balancing huge trays on their heads. Before dinner the usual hand washing in a brass bowl with brass pitcher of
scented water. The food was very good. Two roast sheep in the centre, stuffed with whole roast chickens, stuffed
with eggs, reposing on a huge mound of rice. All sorts of risoles, rice with flavouring, sheets of thin beautifully made
native bread, some rather messy puddings, dates, gravy soup, & a lot of roasted birds & hard boiled eggs; no spoons
or forks. Afterwards more hand washing, sprinkling with scent from a fine old brass scent sprinkler, and incense. Sat
& talked for some time & then motored home. It seems curious that old Sheikh Hamed, who looks just like an
ordinary Arab, should have an income of between 15 & 20 thousand a year, & should be employing me! After dinner
he had a private talk with D & complained, as usual, that one of his people, sort of Steward, was robbing him & he
had caught him borrowing money in his name. He is swindled right & left & part of my job will be to keep off the