Page 646 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1931

the only two people there, all the others had been asked, I think some might have gone. It was quite well done and quite good
tea. Stayed there till eight oclock and then home to dinner. Mafalan apparently declined the exalted position of Private
Secretary to D.G. He is a decent fellow and I am sorry he is going. I have seen quite a lot of him in connection with the club.
They had a cricket match in the afternoon in which most of the Englishmen had played, Mohamedans against others, they are
all so keen on games now which is a most excellent thing.

Saturday 28th February 1931

Court, finished in good time though we had a lot of cases. Sulman told me that two Bahrain sailing boats smuggling on the
Persian coast had had quite an engagement with the Persian customs launches and had been followed by them a long way both
sides firing at eachother, but nobody in the Bahrain boats hurt. Its a pity the Persians are so wide awake now as the smuggling
used to help our trade a lot. Wrote letters in the afternoon and the old Shia Kadi came to call with his attendant the one eyed
mullah who is a bad lot but rather amusing. As usual he talked much about the doings of the other Kadi and Mohamed al
Medani. The Shaikh sent in a letter from the Sunni Kadis also saying that Mohamed Medani ought not to be allowed to
conduct Friday prayer at Gedhafs, quite true. Went out to see how the pump was working on Kozaibis water, it seemed to be
doing very well and shifting large amount of water into the drain which we made down to the sea. In the evening I had a
dinner party which was supposed to be for Thomas but there had been some muddle about it and he didnt come going to the
Hakkens instead, I had thought he had been included in the invitation with Prior who I asked verbally to bring him. Parke,
Barden Walker and Prior were the party and we had a really very good dinner and a most amusing one. Walker was extremly
funny indeed though rather coarse, about the D.Gs and we laughed so much that the boys looked quite startled. D.G. is an
unfailing topic of conversation. The mail came after dinner so when they had gone I opened it and sat up rather late looking at
it. We played Bridge. The dinner was rabbit pie, and iced souffle, rather a queer mixture but very well cooked. They all
seemed to like it and ate a great deal of it. They are all agreed that Mrs D.G. has got him absolutely "taped down" and that she
sees how absurd he is, but anyone could do that. Rain in the night.

Sunday 1st March 1931

Busy morning in office, I am starting on my Annual Report which is very difficult to do as it is so far before the end of the
year. Went out in the car to see how the pump which they have put on the flooded ground behind the town is working, it is
very effective and the level of the water has sunk a lot. The Shaikh has got very much into debt, about 12,000 and is bothering
for money, as we have not enough to pay the salaries from revenue nothing can be done. Hussein Yatim came round in the
afternoon with some canna roots which I wanted to get a long time ago, there are several sorts which I have not got in the
garden. The Shaikh sent me six very good date trees, small ones, which I have put in the side garden on the west of the house,
unfortunately they take a very long time to grow. Played Bridge at the D.Gs, they came in to call for me with Parke, I was
working at my history, I have now finished from the time the Khalifah came here till 1820. It forms one sort of chapter. Quite
good bridge but D.G. lost and was rather annoyed as he said he had determined not to play any more, at all events for a month.
Lovely weather, not too cold but just a nip in the air.

Monday [2 March]