Page 690 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1932

Sunday [31 January]

The Resident and Dickson left in the evening for Bushire on the up mail, rather a relief as we have had quite a big dose of them
this year. I hear there is a lot of fuss about my recent proclamation about Estates of deceased persons, a nuisance, I hoped to
get it through without any opposition especially during Ramadan. Some say that Yusuf Kanoo is at the bottom of it, I rather
doubt it myself. Tea with Major Holmes, the Russells were there, played Bridge.

Monday [1 February]

Court, quite a long one as the people are so late. Gardened and then went out to Senobis to call on the old Kadi who sent me a
message to say he wanted to come and see me. The poor old man was in rather a stew as the people are very angry with him
for having organised a petition about minors which they think caused the action of the Govt. There was quite a mob outside
his house so I had one of them in and talked to him about it. He seemed quite reasonable. We had a dinner party for Mrs
Russell and Mrs Schindler, about a dozen people and afterwards went over to the Agency and danced. I thought it fell just a
little flat as the Russells were feeling very depressed and various people seemed rather off their usual style.

Tuesday 2nd February 1932

Yusuf Fakroo and Zayani called in the morning to talk about the proclamation. They were quite sensible and reasonable about
it but said that it was causing a great deal of excitement and people were writing petitions about it in Muharrak. Yusuf was
rather inclined to be on the side of the Kadis but Zayani was very impartial. It is really very annoying but whenever we do
anything new there is a row among the people. They have got all sorts of extraordinary ideas into their heads about it. I sent
for a sort of Mullah from Gedhafs who is stirring up the people and happens to owe money to the Shaikh and threatened to
send him to prison at once if he didnt pay, but much to my regret he paid at once, also issued a warrant of arrest for old Ahmed
bin Khamis who is also making trouble in Senobis, but the Police couldnt catch him. Worked at my history in the afternoon
and then went for a drive and to dinner at the Hakkens. They had a perfectly awful dinner and gave us a foul drink make of
Sarsaparilla and after dinner made us play a perfectly disgusting game; we chewed chewing gum and then were supposed to
remove it from our mouthes and make it into shapes on a piece of cardboard, animals and flowers etc, I dont think I have ever
been expected to play such a horrid game. I have made a muddle, this dinner was on Wednesday, on Tuesday we went to
tennis at the Mission and then to dinner at the de Greniers.

Wednesday [3 February]

Went up to the Fort. Old Shaikh Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Wahab called. He is an aged member of the Royal Family who is
becoming rather queer in the head and has begun giving away all his extensive lands to one son, the son of his last wife and it
is said by the other sons that the gift is illegal. I had to deal with the matter. Very busy morning. In the afternoon we had
people to tennis and then dined at the Hakkens.