Page 821 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Police Office in morning going over Khalil Bakr pearl case. Then went over to the Agency court & listened to
the case. Finished our witnesses who all gave their evidence quite well. Gastrell knows no Arabic & it was
very slow as all the evidence had to be taken down. They got very muddled over the interpreting at times.
Hussein Yatim came to tea & we went out with him to see where they are working on the road & dug up
some old bones & stuff. Called on the Gastrells & then M went to a golf committee meeting at Pack's. I went
o
round later & we played Bridge. A shamaal but much hotter than last week, about 90 .

Friday 6th October

Bazaar in the morning & in afternoon planted seeds & then Agency as usual.

Saturday 7th [October]

The "fleet" arrived in the morning, nine destroyers from the Mediterranean Fleet and the "Shoreham" with
the S.N.O. on board. It was very misty when they arrived and until midday they were almost invisible as they
anchored at the outer anchorage. I went down to the pier to arrange things, we had 100 men of the Police as
a guard of honour at the head of the pier, they looked extremely smart, and a double line of armed naturs,
watchmen, from the head of the pier to the Meglis over the Police office where the naval officers returned
the Shaikh's call. Gastrell went out first, in the usual way, to call & then the Shaikh & I & Sulman,
Mohammed & some of the sons, followed. The Shaikh & the SNO get on very well, the first thing the Shaikh
saw, in the cabin, & remarked on with pleasure, was his own photograph, framed. It looked very well. Then
we came ashore, salutes from the ship & from our battery as usual. The Shaikh went to the Meglis & I waited
on the pier to meet the naval party. Three of the commanding officers of the ships came ashore with the
S.N.O., I was sorry there were not more, & after inspecting the guard we processed down the pier across the
square to the Meglis, there were huge crowds and it all looked very nice. The naval men were very
impressed by the prosperous & civilized appearance of the place which was not at all what they had
expected. After the visit they all drove off. I made the police march along, with the band playing, behind us
to outside the Meglis & form up again there till all had left. M & James & Nanny looked on from the Customs
veranda. In the afternoon we thought people might come to tennis but none did, however the Shaikh came
to call, also expecting tennis, & stayed some time. Later we went out in the car & looked on at football
matches. I arranged a very full programme for the Navy, two or three events every afternoon, football,
hockey & cricket. They also had inter ship games on one of our grounds. Dinner party in the evening, we had
six officers and two local people to dinner, others had parties too and then we all went over to the Agency
and they danced - there were only four women to dance and about 30 men!! I talked most of the evening to
the captain commanding the flotilla, a very nice man, & also made arrangements for a big naval ceremonial
parade on Monday in which my police are to join. The SNO & all of them were very keen on it. A most
excellent idea. Of course this naval visit is really due to the "Basidu incident" but I dont believe it will have
any effect. The navy themselves think it is rather silly & say like everyone else that we should have taken
some strong action at the time. I thought the Agency party was rather a wash out, such crowds of men & so
few women, however it couldn't be helped. We had a nice lot of men to dinner, one of them, Welby Everard
is to be in charge of the parade on Monday, a nice man, with a little beard, very like Daly in appearance.