Page 734 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1932

instead of putting him in prison I should let him off and give him a job so he could pay back the money. He got two years at
the Agency court. Deported a lot of undesirables from Muharraq. Called on the old Kadi of Senobis in the afternoon and then
gardened. Yusuf Kanoo sent me three plants from Bombay, one being a bourganvila. I hope it will grow, they were in good
condition. Dined at the Agency to meet the new Chief Engineer Iraq, a colonel Day who came down on a flying boat. He
wants us to build him a pier, it will mean employing local labour so a good thing, he offered to pay a percentage on it but I
dont like the method. I was non committal. He was quite pleasant but rather too talkative.

Monday [13 June]
Court, had a lot of cases against one of the men who appears in court as a wakil, these people are mostly dishonest and this one
specially so as he pinched all the money paid to him by us for his clients. Got done in good time as we started early. Cool day
a strong shamaal, the bara has started and it is too windy to sleep on the roof any more. Quite a rough sea. In the afternoon
Prior gave a party in the Biladya garden to celebrate the Resident being given a K.B.E. The Shaikh and all the leading people
were there, it was a very good party and very well done, the tables were under the place where the creeper grows, quite enjoyed
the show. Afterwards we walked about the garden and then went along to the Customs to D.Gs, some of the oil men came in
and later on Steele and Prior and Ham and then Galpin and a R.A.F. man who had arrived in the afternoon. Galpin told us that
it was practically settled that Imperial Airways are to come here at the end of September and he has come down again to
arrange things here and down the Gulf. He had not been home at all, he was going off in the morning to the Oman coast. Very
glad to hear this news. Stayed to dinner with de Grenier, a messy dinner and much too much of it, he finished up with two
poached eggs after a huge meal.

Tuesday [14 June]
Went to Muharraq to the Biladya meeting, a very nice windy morning so we sailed over in a small joliboat and got across there
in a very short time. It was the new Meglis which I had not met as the election was quite lately, I didnt think very much of
them, they seemed argumentative and tiresome. Not a long meeting. Worked in the office afterwards and then in the afternoon
went to Sanyan and then to tea with Major Holmes who as usual is not well, he never is when he comes here in the summer,
Prior Ham and Steele came in later on. Holmes seemed rather annoyed with Skinner. I told him a few home truths about his
always being so optimistic which he didnt like at all.

Wednesday 15th June 1932

Violent shamaal all day and almost chilly in the evening, I had forgotten that the Bara is so strong. It will prevent the men
from diving which is a pity. A great many people came round in the morning to see me about one thing and another. In the
afternoon I had people to tennis, I gave them some sandwiches and lemonade and ices, no set tea, I only had men, we had some
quite good tennis until Steele and D.G. came, fortunately very late. Played Bridge afterwards. They all seemed very pleased to
come and liked some tennis and Bridge. Went into the J.C. for a few minutes in the morning, the Shaikh was in a tiresome
mood and being very trying over a case, Prior was very short with him. Prior came in on the way back from court.