Page 813 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

money is concerned. Abdel Aziz Kozaibi came & complained about a notice we put up saying that two men
who gave false evidence in our court would never in future be accepted as witnesses. The Bassams, who are
an important family, are making a fuss about it. Tennis party in the afternoon. Had very good tennis as
fewer people were there. Went to see G in morning & talked oil & other matters.

Thursday [7th September]

Very nice cool day, the nights are pleasant now but the dew is rather heavy, however we have a shelter on
the roof which we sleep under. Fort, made some experiments with the men & tested their march time, they
were quite good. The doctor came up and had a look round as we have had a lot of malaria among the men
lately, but he found no cause for it. Shaikh Mohammed and Abdulla arrived and wanted me to sign some
papers granting them & their dependents the land which they held from Shaikh Isa so that on their death it
does not revert, as is the custom, to the Ruler. Its a big matter and has been taken up by the Agency so I
refused to sign saying that the P.R. had been written to about it and we should wait for his reply. They were
rather sulky & went off to see the Shaikh but as he is at Jaw they will miss him - all for the best! Very busy
morning in the office. M went to Ayesha's garden & bathed in the tank after tea & I went out to Senian to
see about planting some seeds of a tree which we got from the Agency. Cool evening. M enjoyed her bathe.
James tried to teach her to swim. Ayesha is furiously indignant about Major Holmes being moved.

Friday 8th September

Cool morning but suddenly got misty & very damp in afternoon. We went down the bazaar & had a walk
round, it was wonderfully cool, the roofed streets of the bazaar are always cool even in the summer. Painted
most of the morning. I am doing a bazaar scene which is interesting, I started it & nearly finished it but made
a muddle & had to begin again. Agency in afternoon. There is an RAF flying boat in & Chick & another man
were there & two men from the Nearchus also. We played Bridge & they got very rowdy on the veranda
outside, it is simply awful the way Gastrell goes on with Mrs Steele & Mrs Russell and they now behave as if
they owned the Agency - but all his fault, such a very common couple of women too and not attractive.
Heard the news that King Faisal of Iraq is dead, it may have all sorts of consequences and may be the cause of
wars up north, Ibn Saoud and the Persian Shah will certainly have a grasp at Iraq, I dont think it will affect us
much in Bahrain. I am very sorry, I always admired Faisal and I regret that I never met him. He was a success
as a King on the whole and his son is only 24 so I dont know what will happen & who will rule. All very
interesting.

Saturday 9th September

Court. Played in a golf tournament in afternoon. I played with a man called Carter, English, from the oil
camp, quite a decent fellow, & one of the two new young Englishmen walked round with us. I liked him, a
gentleman & a pleasant young man, Cornish. I had a big handicap as I have not played much but I got on
quite well - for me! Afterwards there was a party at the Bank and dancing in the hall. Pack & another man
drew so they are to play again. Later on we had a cold supper party at Packs, a very good supper but rather
an awkward party. There was a lot of chaffing about the "Bright Young Things" a silly sort of society which