Page 836 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Court. Shaikh Mohammed came in to see me and as I am taking courts alone while Sulman is away he
delayed me a good deal. He talked about the "Liba" business & I retaliated by talking finance & the bad
outlook. In afternoon we had tennis & Bridge instead of last Wednesday, Bremner came in. He is a queer
person and talks of going to live in the slums of Cairo for six months to learn arabic. He is said to be a
Moslem but he drinks whisky & soda. Few people for tennis but two Bridge fours.

Sunday [12th November]

Court. Bremner came round & delayed me a lot. He wants a motor driver who will also do as a house-boy. I
couldn't offer him anyone suitable. M went out to the oil camp with Ayesha and Mrs Skinner. The de
Greniers arrived from India. Played golf, played quite well. The DGs came round after tea, both look well
were very full of talk, quite like old Indian residents now-a-days. They seem to have enjoyed it.

Monday 13th November

Fort. Office. Saw various people. Hussein Zalim consulted me about marrying an Iraqi girl, I said I thought it a
good idea. Since his three years at school in England he had found it very difficult to swallow the prospect of
marrying a local gril who would be entirely uneducated. Sh Abdulla bin Isa came to call having returned from
his hunting trip on the mainland. We talked about oil & he looked over all the letters that have passed since
he has been away. Read in the afternoon & then motored along Rafaa road to see the repairs, it is very good
now. Worked out some figures to compare previous years revenue. The drop every year is most alarming.
Abdulla bin Jahr told me that the Shaikh was very angry with Sulman for having gone hunting without leave.
Bideford came in with the Resident from Qatar. One of his informers got onto some arak in Muharraq and
the Amir arrested eight men. The Amir came round to se me in the afternoon.

Tuesday [14th November]

Fort. The Resident & Lochs went out travelling with the Shaikh, I couldn't get away as I had a lot of work at
the Police Station. Went to see DG at the Customs. He seemed very gloomy over financial prospects. Tennis
at the Mission, pretty awful as usual. The court was very bad & all the time there was an operation going on
in the women's hospital. The court is in part of the hospital and the flies are dreadful. Bridge at the Russells
afterwards. We took Min Robertson, Steele's cousin, down in our car. She is really a pleasant woman & very
sensible though she looks rather theatrical! Mrs Steele has been very ill but is now better. They seem to
have had a series of misfortunes in the family.

Wednesday 15th November