Page 717 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1932

Stayed long abed and then went along to the Bank but only the D.Gs and Prior were there. We had a rubber of Bridge
but as usual I had very bad cards and went down. Prior took me in his car as mine wouldnt start, it has been a little
difficile lately. In the afternoon I went to the Agency at 4.30 and had a single with Prior who I beat by four games to
one, then other people came. A very dull party, played one rubber of Bridge. Two of the sailors came in with Terry,
the doctor and another. Came back quite early as the party broke up sooner than usual, everyone seemed rather dull.

Saturday [29 April]

Hot dull day and rather damp, thick clouds looking like rain. If it rains now they say that the drops fall in the sea and
make pearls, but the earlier rain does not do this, so I suppose they are hoping for rain. People say that the news from
the sea is good but they said that last year. Also I hear that the men are diving badly as so many of them are very
underfed now and really have not the stamina to dive. Court, very busy morning, I had to see D.G. about the Budget
and also Steele so left Sulman to it for some time. People seemed extra fractious, perhaps because we had several
habituees of the court who are always troublesome. Lowenfels came in, sent by Skinner, to tell me that they are doing
some sort of test and are very disappointed to find that the gas is so little that it is not strong enough to push the oil up
to the surface, still they are going on trying for a few days and will then bore down if it is no good at the present depth.
Most annoying, I had hoped for more success. In the afternoon I went out with Seyd Ahmed to Draaz where we had a
meeting in the house where I got some pottery once, a very nice house inside, I think the cleanest Bahrani house I have
seen, the upstairs Meglis was really very nice and well carpeted, much better than most of the Arabs in Manama. We
had about 30 of the headmen from all those villages and had a regular election each man being given a piece of paper
to record his vote on, they seemed to like it and thoroughly entered into the idea. Heard a few bits of history and went
out afterwards to see an old spring which is mentioned in the history which was filled in by one of the caliphs centuries
ago, it must have been very big, about twice the size of Idari and had some water in it about 50 years ago as one old
man said he learnt to swim in it, now there is no water at all. Seyd Ahmed on the way back said how much he
disapproved of football as two of his boys have been damaged lately, he said in his young days they would never think
of playing such a game and now everyone wants to play every day, I told him a good thing too, but he didnt agree. The
Police raided the house of the Jews in Rufaa and found signs of liquor making but they had got wind of it and removed
almost everything.

Sunday May 1st 1932

Changed into thick clothes though really not a very hot day, yesterday was hotter. Court. In the afternoon I had
another Wakf meeting for electing a member, at a place called Abu Seba, a village I had never been to before on the
left of the south Budeya road. It was rather a nice place with a lot of fig trees and some very good little gardens, there
was a very picturesque mosque above an old spring; a place that would make a very good picture. I took a couple of
snaps but as the sun was not out I dont think they will be much of a success. We had the meeting in the open under
some trees on the edge of a garden with a lot of cattle tied up in one corner. It was quite a good meeting, the people get
the idea of voting very easily, one old man voted for me but I had to explain that I was not eligible, it was considered a
great joke. The country Baharna are much nicer people than the ones in Manama and much pleasanter to deal with.