Page 809 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

really are awful, Bahrain has never been at a lower ebb socially. We take practically no part with them as I
dont approve of these incessant mixed bathing parties at night when they order the Arabs away from the
bathing places.

Wednesday 23rd August

Fort, Office, Customs etc. Gastrell asked me to go to Agency & I found him puzzling as to how to answer
Holmes' request that he should inform him in writing why he told him verbally not to attend the meeting
with us. He eventually concocted a letter. Usual tennis & Bridge party in the afternoon but I left them early
& went to dine with Sh. Khalifah Ali Hamed at Kozabeea, a big party, most of the Khalifah as well as a lot of
merchants and also the brother of the Shaikh of Kattar, a dull ill tempered looking man with six dull looking
sons, all of whom will I suppose expect money from the Shaikh. Hot damp day, very unpleasant. Holmes
stayed on late & was still there when I got back. I am simply fed up with all this crooked oil business, the
Company are very slippery but the B. Govt are almost as bad, & between the two we get no further.

Thursday 24th [August]

Finished the musketry course which the last section of recruits have been doing, very hot damp day. Had a
tiresome time going into the Shaikh's accounts, he is hopeless, however large an income he would always be
in debt. He lives & spends quite regardless of what money he has and all his sons & servants get everything
they can out of him, which is easy. Motored round the Budeya Roads. Freund and Holmes came to dinner,
had some good Bridge, they stayed till midnight. Air mail. Yusuf Kanoo called & talked about the weight of
rice bags. I had thought of altering it but this seems unpopular. I am going to move the court into a big cool
room behind the offices in the house we bought last year. The atmosphere of our court is awful in the
summer, no fresh air gets in at all.

Friday 25th August

Two men from the oil camp came round in the morning after which we went out in the car for a little while.
Usual tennis at the Agency.

Saturday 26th [August]

Court. Drove out to Yatim's garden for dinner, the party was really given by Major Holmes though it was
d
supposed to be Yatim, Moh and Hussein were there, Holmes, ourselves and Adam Freund, we had a young
lamb cooked in the Arab way, stuffed with rice, raisins almonds etc and very good melons. Afterwards I went
down to the tank and had a bathe then came back & we sat talking till late. Mohammed told us some of his
experiences as a prisoner of war with the Turks. His stories were amusing and his English is so good that one