Page 752 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1932

Muharraq about the electric Department, they are always asking us to reduce the price of putting it in which we could only do
if we got a guarantee of a large number of orders.

Wednesday 21st September

Fort in the morning before breakfast. Meeting of the Wakf Department which lasted most of the morning, like everyone else
they are finding great difficulty in collecting their revenue though as most of it is garden rents now is the time if they get
anything in at all. Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa came up to see me at the school while the meeting was going on to discuss some
business about a share which he has in the Oil Company which was given to him really as a bribe by Holmes when he was
trying to get the original concession from old Shaikh ... Now the Company offer to buy it back. Went out to Idari with
Hamood and had a very pleasant bathe and in the evening dined with the Hakkens at the Mission, Steele was there, they were
less tiresome than usual.

Thursday [22 September]

Office. A flying boat arrived with Welsh (the group Captain) on board & as usual he came to me for the night. As they gave
me a flight down from Basrah I feel that I should make some return so have given Welsh a standing invitation - besides I like
him. Most of the senior RAF men are nice, it is only the young post war men who are so ill mannered. Took Welsh up to the
Fort in the afternoon as he wanted to have a talk with Steele & then out for a drive. He admired my budding Police Force. In
the evening I took him to dinner with Major Holmes, several of the American oil men were there & we played Bridge, as usual
a very good dinner.

Friday [23 September]

Welsh left in the early morning as usual, I stayed late in bed as I always do on Friday. Shaikh Khalaf, the ex Shia Kadi, came
to call, he is a sly old man. I showed him my collection of china which interested him & later in the day there arrived several
very nice pieces from him, with fruit in them, it was obviously intended that I should take them but of course I had to send
them back - a pity as they were very nice. I kept the fruit only. The inspector of Education came to call, he got back on the
last boat from Syria. Reading a book called Hindu holiday, rather improper but very amusing & in many ways not unlike this
place though actually about the court of a small rajah in India. Dined with de Grenier, Pack, the pearl merchant, & Ham were
there. We played Bridge.

Saturday [24 September]

Court, a long sitting & very dull cases, at the fort as usual before breakfast. In the afternoon I called on the Shaikh who came
into the Palace from Sakhrir for a short time. Discussed various cases and also the Shaikh's money affairs which as usual are
in a deplorable state of chaos for which he has noone to blame but himself although he will never admit this.