Page 1142 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1140
1140
1940

Friday [19th July]

Back & Harvey came at about 11.30 & I took them round the "places of interest in the vicinity" a sort of Cook's tour.
Harvey had been nowhere. We went all over the bazaar, meat, fish & vegetable markets, then out to Idari which was
crammed with people, then to Budeya garden & back. It was very hot & very damp so we all had showers, baths &
changed before lunch, they brought a change of clothes. Really unpleasantly damp day but I think its a good thing for
the navy to see how damp it can be here. Both seemed to enjoy themselves very much & Mohammed made a very
good cold lunch. I like Back but I think he is a trifle inflated with his own & the navy's importance. I enjoyed telling
him that I didn't think most of the Arabs here were in the least interested in the navy & most didn't know they had a
base here - which is the case, he was very put out & said they ought to be told!! They stayed till 8.30 & then went to
play cricket, I went out & had a bathe at Seddad, met Abdullah bin Jabr there, he is going to the island where the
Shaikh is doing more expensive & unnecessary building. Very pleasant out there, I did a sketch of the strip of shore.

Saturday July 20th

Fort & then court. Told the Police what I thought of their not beating the navy at shooting. They said there were other
men who were not in the team who might have done better. We are going to test some. Did nothing in particular in
afternoon, went over to see the Holmes, dinner on Fowey, myself & the Nixs & Harvey. It was very unpleasant as the
cabin was so small & awfully hot & everyone literally dripped. We played Bridge outside, almost as hot as inside. I
played with Mrs Nix & lost steadily. I am having a run of bad luck lately. Its too hot to party on ships.

Sunday 21st July

Fort. Office & customs & court, a really foul day & the fan in my office broke down so I retreated to the Customs &
by the time I returned it was mended. Now when they sell the ice in the bazaar we have to put the Police on as there is
such a rush to buy it. Went to Jufair in evening & then to Bridge at the Bank. Father Lamb did a lot of his conjuring
tricks, he is very clever.

Monday [22nd July]

Fort. Court all the morning taking the Hedd murder case. I had Sh Sulman on the court in addition to young Abdulla.
Hot, yesterdat it was 109. The temperature is unusually high this year. The evidence came out just as I expected, but
the old mother got scared & wouldn't speak, her daughter was murdered by her son so her position is difficult. We had
four assessors who seemed to take a lot of interest in the case. In afternoon the PR arrived - a nuisance, I went out to
see the Shaikh at Sakhrir & then to Seddad taking my dinner with me. Had a bathe in the sea, then dinner - of sorts -