Page 660 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

658

1931

her before taking him on I would have thought twice about giving him the job. Went up to the Fort afterwards and had a drink
with Parke, we moved the furniture about in his room and tried to improve its appearance.

Sunday [1 November]

Busy morning looking over accounts and office work, a lot more people came in to call and took up much of my time. M had
the local ladies in to play Bridge, quite an innovation here. In the afternoon we went out for a short drive and then Shaikha
Ayesha with her mother came in to call and had tea with us, she looked very well and very handsome in reds and yellows with
her hair plaited with roses. She was very lively and talkative and spoke about emancipation of women in the East saying how
badly they are treated here in Bahrain. They stayed some time and I think enjoyed their visit, then the Shia Kadi, Shaikh
Abdulla, came to call and remained until about dinner time. I was in a dinner jacket when he came and he was very interested
never having seen one worn, he thought it a very silly get up for a hot country especially the stiff shirt and collar. We talked
about English women going about in the town, his attitude was the more the better as the Arabs ought to get accustomed to
them. He is very broad minded for a man in his position as the head religious man of the Shia sect here. Prior came in to
dinner. He seemed very annoyed with Parke who he says has done simply nothing since I left, but my idea is that if he had
done more he would probably have done harm so much better do little. Still too hot to be comfortable which is unusual for the
time of year.

Monday 2nd November

In the office all the morning, de Grenier came round and we had a long discussion about money affairs, things are doing very
badly and as we are going on now I shall be a lot below my Budget figures. Russell, of Mespers, came round and looked at the
framed pictures of the Shaikh which got broken on the way out but I find that only four out of ten are really smashed. Drove in
the car in the afternoon and had Parke and Pack to dinner. Pack is a very pleasant little man. I like him best of all the Jewish
pearl merchants and I know him better than the others, we played Bridge. There has been a move to reduce the points from 8
annas to 4 annas which succeeded while we are away, rather invidious as it was made by the de Greniers who are the worst
players in Bahrain, its really absurd playing as low as this as one gets careless over playing.

Tuesday [3 November]

Went over to Muharrak to call on Shaikh Isa. Went up to the house in a taxi and after waiting some time in the courtyard was
shown upstairs to the Meglis which was hurriedly prepared while I waited below. The old man looked very shaky, he is
getting on for ninety. He is much more deaf than he used to be and very blind in one eye, I shouted a few remarks at him but
he didnt seem to hear so one of his head servants came to the rescue and he seemed to make him hear better. I told him I had
met Sir Percy Cox, as a matter of fact I only saw him, and he was quite interested, also I spoke to him of Colonel Prideaux and
said they all asked after him, then I asked him what he thought about the oil and said they intended to bore a mile into the
ground, he seemed moderately interested and said only Allah knew what was under the earth, which didnt help the
conversation. He never makes a remark of his own accord so conversation is very sticky. As no rose water and insense was
produced I eventually got up and asked permission to go. These visits to Shaikh Isa are rather an ordeal but he is much more
amiable, or at least less frigid, then he used to be. From there I went on to the Shaikhs and had a chat with him mostly about