Page 797 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

meeting new people. One of the officers, Ward Smith, was at school with me. James loved it and one of them let him
fire a real rifle at a bottle in the sea, James didnt turn a hair though I thought he would have been very terrified as it
made a big bang. Up mail arrived, very late, our cook who is on leave in Muscat, should have returned but didnt.

Wednesday July 12th

Fort. Measured the height of a lot of the Police, quite a number are over 6 feet tall, we take none under 5'6". The
Shaikh came round in the morning & talked about ABH and his private money affairs, he said he would like to call on
M so we went up and sat on the veranda for a long time. James was there playing in his little motor & the Shaikh
admired it very much. While we were talking business he suddenly included M in the conversation & began
discussing all sorts of things with her - much of which she did not understand. Went over to the Agency with him to
call on Gastrell. A flying boat in with Chick & Hudson who came to see me about the RAF pier & the aerodrome. Cool
day, shamaal. Painted after lunch, I am doing a picture of a bit of the bazaar which I am quite pleased with. Tennis &
Bridge, a lot of people, Skinner brought two of the men from the oil camp and the RAF men came too. James as usual
went out bathing. Gastrell told me that the Persian Governor of the Gulf Party is on the up mail. We do not intend to
allow him to land here as there might be some sort of demonstration. Went out at night to see a house close by
where I suspect they are making arak, couldn't see in.

Thursday [13th July]

Fort. Office. Took the family out to Ain al Hakim in the evening & stayed there till sunset. James was rather cross &
didnt swim much. Went out again to look at the house for arak, very suspicious but not enough to go on.

Friday [14th July]

Went up to see the Shaikh with Gastrell as he wanted to ask him about one Khalid bin Halklain of the Ajman tribe who
is supposed to be contemplating a raid on Ibn Saoud's country & might work from here. The Shaikh promised -
naturally - not to encourage him if he came here. Then we went down bazaar with Gastrell who came in here
afterwards till lunch time. He does not think much of Lock I find. Finished the picture I was working at. Tennis at the
Agency. So much pleasanter than when Lock presides.

Saturday 15th [July]