Page 735 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1932

Thursday [16 June]

Fort as usual then worked all the morning in my little office as the Meglis Tajara were below and very noisy. Terrific gale in
the night, I had to get up many times to shut windows. The garden was very dashed about, but it doesnt matter as there is
nothing in it now. Took the dogs out for a drive and called on D.G. in the afternoon. Prior came in while I was there. D.G.
always asks me to dinner but I have no hesitation in refusing. Abdulla bin Jabr came in and talked amusingly about Mohamed
being in England.

Friday [17 June]

Wrote in the morning after a very late breakfast and went to Agency in afternoon, so windy that we could hardly play. Rather
depressing. The Marconi man from Katif was there, I dont care for him, a stiff of the worst type, with a beard but by birth and
education I think a gentleman. Played Bridge, then went to dinner with Holmes. He has been buying a lot more china, it
annoys me a lot that he should get hold of it so easily. I enjoyed telling him that a lot of if was obviously modern, as it was.
He seemed very full of complaints and annoyed with the people at the well.

Saturday 18th [June]

Court. Russell came in with a wire from Bombay about a big transhipment of direct oversea loaded cargo so he and I and
Sulman went over to see Prior who was evidently very annoyed at the others coming too. Sulman was excellent and much to
the point and argued very soundly. Very late as our court was delayed. In afternoon I went out to see the Shaikh at Om al
Talla and urged him to take a strong line about the matter, the P.R. is coming on Sunday which is a good thing as we shall be
able to tackle him about it. A long drive, got back at 8.30.

Sunday 19th June 1932

Court. After the court a clerk from Hassa, son of Abdel Aziz Khunji who is now in the Customs in Hassa, came with a letter to
me from Shaikh Mohamed al Tawil of Hassa saying that he wished to tranship direct 17000 bags of rice for the Government of
Ibn Saoud and some of it is arriving tomorrow. All very annoying, I put him off till the next day. They expect to get it through
without paying any customs and if it is allowed once it will happen again and again. We are going to leave the matter till the
P.R. comes tomorrow but I know that this will make the Shaikh tiresome as anything connected with Ibn Saoud has a bad
effect on him. Went out in the afternoon and bathed in Ain al Hakim, the tide was in so I had a bathe in the sea first and then
in the Ain, very nice.

Monday [20 June]
The Shaikh came in the morning with Abdulla and Sulman but Sulman dealt with the court while we talked about this rice
business. As usual he was inclined to give way in the matter as it was for Ibn Saoud but I and Abdulla argued against his doing
so and I told him what Prior thought about it all. He was very cross and peevish about it. The P.R. arrived on the sloop and