Page 634 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

632

1931

the evening, it is getting on quite well and interests me very much. The boat brought nothing and left soon after she came.
Walker has been in bed two days ill, he is said to be a very bad patient.

Wednesday [28 January]

First calm day for a long time, no shamaal. Went round the town with Ali bin Hussein to see a lot of houses which need
condemning as being a danger to the public, mostly at the back in the Baharna quarter. Some were really very dangerous, just
on the point of falling down into the street. Then had a look at the walls of the cemeteries which are getting on very well.
D.G. came round to go over the Customs proclamations. He asked for tiles in his bathrooms but I said it was not the time to do
things like that, he took it very well. Rashid bin Mohamed came in and worried me about giving Mohamed some land, he
always wants something for nothing, I prevaricated and said after Ramadan we would see about it. A letter from Ibn Jeloui
asking that Ibn Saoud's mail launch should be exempted from paying Harbour Tax. Went round the two Biladya gardens and
the Shaikh's. Not much in them this year. Warmer day. My last year's stocks are in bud and show promise of a lot of flowers.
Reading "My Brother Johnathan", quite interesting but too medical in parts. Worked at history in the evening. It is very
interesting. Went into the Agency to borrow a History of Persia, Sykes, and found the doctor there having been playing tennis.
Went over to his house with him and stayed there some time. Mrs Holmes seemed very bright. Shall be very sorry when
Ramadan is over. I am having a very lazy time and dont get up till eight oclock which is a nice change.

Thursday 29th Jan.

Abdulla bin Jabr came in and stayed some time gossiping. Shamaal blew up again and it is very cold, colder indoors than out.
Very stormy looking clouds about. Went out to Sanian, the Shaikh's garden on the Mene road in the afternoon. Parke came in
when I got back and had some tea, then Haji Seggar came in about some office work. Wrote the History and dined with the
Hakkens, Prior was there and a young American called Harvey who is travelling for tyres and staying at Kanoos, quite a
pleasant man from one of the Southern states. The Hakkens had a good dinner and a most excellent ice. They talked mostly
about things in America, politics and divorce all quite interesting. It must be a queer place to live in these days. The American
was evidently a cut above the Hakkens. Several burglaries lately in the town but not big ones. I had Parke most of the
morning and talked about the Police. He seemed to be very sort of nervous and agreed to everything I said. My idea is to wash
out all the Indians by degrees and just keep a force of local men. He said he was sure he could train them. He is very excited
about a case in Hedd in which he thinks some people dumped goods in a house in order to make out that the occupants stole
them. The Resident, a Secretary, perhaps Alban or a man called Bradshaw, and the Chief Secretary of the Teheran Legation,
Lascelles, are coming here on the 3rd for four days, also two sloops, one of the new ones. I have pointed out that in Ramadan
The Shaikh pays no visits, Prior jumped at the idea so we wont have to go trailing, or bouncing, out to the boat, rather a relief
as it is very rough again these days. The Shaikh has been invisible since Ramadan.

Friday 30th January 1931

No bank as Barden Walker and Steele went out for a long drive, with Holmes, to try and shoot something. They saw nothing
and got wet in the rain, they went out beyond the Gebel. Motored up to the Biladya garden near the Palace and took the dogs
out for some exercise, got a few flowers from there. Prior came over in the morning and had a look at my garden, he knows