Page 689 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1932

The Resident and party returned from Hassa arriving at about midnight. In the morning Dickson came across to call and stayed
some time telling us all about the Hassa visit. He was quite interesting. The King was very amiable and in good form and
appears to have finally agreed to the various points which they discussed. They had rather an uncomfortable time and a fearful
trip by car across the desert from the coast to Hofuf, the capital of Hassa where the King is staying, they went in Ford cars over
endless very steep sand dunes and the only method of getting through was to go at full speed as if a car stopped an instant it
stuck in the heavy sand, before going the tires were partly deflated so it was terribly bumpy. Dickson said it was very different
to his last meeting with the King; then he was in a very bad humour and wouldnt agree to anything they asked. Hassa sounds a
very attractive place, an oasis about as big as this whole island full of water and vegetation, lots of fruit trees and very fine
gardens, it must be very like Siwa I think with hills all round it in the distance. Prior came across later and told me all about
the negotiations. It was officially supposed to be just a visit to improve the relations between the King and Great Britain but
actually they discussed a great many points but mainly things that do not affect Bahrain, the Kuwait frontier question, postal
and telegraphic agreements, passports etc etc. Prior said the King was quite pleasant and had a fine manner but rather
Mongolian in appearance, very much a Monarch. In every Meglis there is a raised seat for him when he uses it. He is
surrounded by Syrian and Egyptian Advisers who are rather mischievous. Everything points to his urgent need for money.
They met Abdulla bin Jeloui the Amir of Hassa who has the reputation for being very cruel and severe, in appearance a mild
old man with not much to say for himself. On the day they left two men were punished for stealing camels by having a foot
and a hand cut off, as they motored out of the town they passed the feet and hands hanging on a wall as a warning to others.
The King was very free in his remarks about British diplomacy, he said that he was the friend of England and owed much to
her but pointed out that the English behaved very stupidly about his affairs etc etc and he sent a message to the English
Government which was really a complaint against certain High Officials in his country. All very amusing. Went to the Bank
and to the Agency in afternoon, but didnt play tennis as the Shaikh came to call at the Agency and then came over here so I
introduced Galpin to him and he talked a little about the Air Route and told Galpin how much he hoped it would come through
Bahrain. The Resident and Prior had a talk to him about money affairs and, according to them, told him a good many home
truths, but by the time he came over here he was quite bright and talked almost as if it had been decided to raise his allowance.
He is and always will be hopeless about money. Danced after tea. Had a talk with the Resident about money matters, his
attitude is very sensible.

Saturday 30 Jan 1932

Busy most of the morning making out some accounts for the Resident to show the proportion of the revenue that goes into the
Civil List, last year it was sixty per cent, now about fifty seven per cent, I ... in the afternoon we went out to Sakhrir, I took
Shaikh Abdulla in my car, a most amusing person to motor with, he never stopped talking all the way about all sorts of things.
We arrived a little before the others, after sitting a little while talking about nothing in particular. Dickson went out to see the
horses, as we had arranged before, and we got down to figures. Sulman and Abdulla and the Shaikh only were there. I read
over to them all the figures for the last seven years and I think they understood it, the discussion was to my mind rather aimless
but the Shaikh realised the main point of it which was that he can not have any more money and must just do without it. We
were out there a long time and got back just at sunset. After tea Holmes and Ham came in to play Bridge. One of the
proposals which the Resident made to the Shaikh, suggested by me, was that he should take the whole Civil List and have as
much as he liked for himself and give what he liked to his relations, but as I expected the Shaikh turned down the suggestion at
once, he would hate all his family to pester him for money, as it is they do so now.