Page 1163 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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Wednesday 26th February

Fort, took James up with me, he stayed on for breaskfast with the Steeles & rode back on the pony which

he likes very much. I wish I had started him riding before but I only thought of it quite lately. Office - went
out with Mohd Khalil to see about shifting the road which crosses the land we are leasing to the Telegraph
Coy. Then to the Customs for some time, settled the matter of the Agency for the Japanese Shipping Coy, I
wish I could prevent their coming here but we can't do so nor can we put extra duties on Japanese imports.
Tennis party in afternoon, a great lot of people, some good tennis. Dined with Van Peussems "en famille".
The Shia Kadis called on me in afternoon & discussed a lot of business, James came in & talked to them &
behaved very well. The old Kadi is rather an alarming old man.

Thursday 27th February

Fort, rather a stormy day, shamaal blowing. Office, worked upstairs on the new budget, we will end the
year with a balance of about seven lacs, including the reserve, a state of things which has not been for
many years. I shall be able to make the Reserve up to four lacs and eventually, I hope, to one year's
revenue. In the afternoon we all drove out to the Aalo plain to meet the Shaikh in order that James & LBL
should say goodbye to him. I got Mohammed Khalil to come too with his camera and everyone took lots of
photos of us all. I hope some come out well. He was in very good form, sat in his car with him for a few
minutes & discussed business and the latest news from Abyssinia. He is tremendously interested in it. Mrs
Van Peussem & Miss Jackson, the new missionary lady doctor, came to call, a plain young woman, typical
missionary type, glasses & badly dressed but quite pleasant. I hardly think she will be captured
matrimonially, by any men out at the camp, still one never knows. To dinner with the Nixs, a very pleasant
party, themselves, ourselves & the Weymouths, then on to the cinema. Quite a good film & the machine

working better than it did last time. The big room was simply full of people & many were standing, we were
rather late & had to go very near the screen. The road has been oiled lately so driving is very dangerous.

Friday 28th Febuary

Very strong shamaal blowing, rather worrying as it is horried getting onto the steamers from the launches
in rough weather, hope it goes down before Monday. Spent all the morning preparing for our Bridge