Page 1000 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

998

1935

Fort. Court. Went over to the Agency to see Loch, spent a long time discussing the SNO & his plans, a
pity he is so vague. Drove to the tombs in the afternoon. Dinner at Mespers in evening given by Smith
the new man who is to succeed Russell. About 20 people, quite well done, a stand up supper and dancing
to gramaphone. Loch had Ibn Saoud's delegation and Shaikhs Abdulla & Sulman to call at the Agency
after which they had a short meeting here. They are a very second rate collection, one Khalid, a
Tripolitan who fought with the Sanuise & was said to be very anti-English, married daughter of an
Egyptian high up in the Egypt Government, Mohammed Ayasyi, a pleasant old man, but no class, brother
and local merchant, here he is the big merchant of Hassa, the third is one Abdulla Suleman whose brother
was once a sandal-maker here & who became bankrupt, he is a person of no family but to make himself
appear important he always goes about escorted by numbers of followers - so say the Shaikhs Abdulla &
Sulman & really think nothing of the party with them, though not one of the delegates is Shaikh
Mohammed al tawil, the Chief Revenue Officer of the Province of Hassa, an Hedyagi who fought for