Page 1291 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1940

Saud has given to the Standard Oil Coy, advance payment in three million rupees (three hundred lakhs). The
area is enormous.

Friday 18th August

Very cool at night but rather a heavy dew towards early morning, I slept out in the open under the stars and a
young two day old moon. Bathed before breakfast & again later on. Ali bin Hussain came out from Manama
& we discussed plans for building a tank & starting a garden. Discovered the Arabic inscription which I had
never seen before and also a second one which I had never heard of but couldn't make much of it as it was
high on a sloping rock & rather worn, the first one was about 450 years old, just before the Portuguese came
here & commemorated cutting 1000 stones for the towers of the Fort of Bahrain in the time of the Wazir
Mahmoud Shah murad, he must ahve been the representative of Hosmuz. Came back in the evening, very
pleasant in the launch but so hot & sticky on arrival in Manama. I like the little island. Interesting talk with
Ali bin Hussain about the Khalifah - water - sun - etc. He is a loss to Biladya, lots of sense.

Saturday 19th August

Fort. Office all morning. Saw Stewart Worthy & Steele. Busy morning, a lot of letters by post. Dined
Ruths, very late party, didn't get back till two. Bridge.

Sunday 20th August

The prisoner who is under sentence for murder escaped in the night but was re-captured in the morning near
Sh Sulman's house. Delightfully cool day, quite a strong shamaal. Shaikhs A & S came in, we discussed
land, ie people digging sand & mud on Government property. Hallows came in, talked about the question of
supplies in case of war & about his proposed trip to pearl banks. Wireless news very gloomy.

Monday 21st August