Page 708 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1932

underfoot saying that if he didnt have them nobody else would have them. In those days if any of the Shaikhs hangers
on saw anything in the bazaar that they liked the looks of they just took it and paid a modicum of the price saying it
was for the Shaikhs, a woman had nothing but a few chickens and the fidawis came to her and demanded some
payment to the Shaikhs, she said she had nothing so he took half of her chickens. If a man had any money he never
built a good house as if he did the Shaikhs would say he was rich and would demand money from him. The rich men
always dressed in old clothes as well in order to hide the fact that they possessed anything. Conditions must really
have been awful then. It was never safe for a woman to go out alone in the town as if any of the young shaikhs met
them they took them off and nobody dared to complain.

Wednesday [30 March]

Khalid Moayad came to see me in the morning and then Yusuf Fakroo. I had heard that a petition was being made
against the court so talked to them about it, Khalil Moayad told me all about it but Yusuf Fakroo pretended he did not
know of it though I hear he is actually at the bottom of it. Busy morning in the office. Abdulla bin Jabr came in from
the Shaikh and we talked about the letter which Prior has written to him about a recent case in which the Shaikh
interfered unsuitably. The Shaikh dislikes Prior very much and is very angry about the letter. Saw Steele about
electric business. In the afternoon we had our party as usual. Warmer day. Holmes came in to tea early and said he is
going home for a few weeks by air mail on Saturday.

Thursday [31 March]

Office all day very busy. Motored to Budeya in afternoon to see about a well and then to tea with Holmes who came to
dinner with us as well as Parke, they stayed till after 12.30.

Friday 1st April 1932

Bank in the morning where we played Bridge and in the afternoon the de Greniers had tennis at the Agency and then tea and Bridge at their
house, quite a pleasant party, only the English people, not the mission. They had a show at the school in the morning at Muharrak to which I
ought to have gone but did not, a play done by the boys. They are as a rule very good actors and entirely without shyness. Pennings and
Hakken who went there told me it was very good.

Saturday [2 April]

Court. Drove in the afternoon and dined at the Steeles, a very tiresome party, three men from the ship and Ham and Russell, I was very
bored by it though they had quite a good dinner. We got away fairly early. Major Holmes sent us a white silugi puppy which he got from