'File 61/6 vol.4 (D 34) Bin Saud and Akwan Movement' [‎32r] (63/565)

talks a lot as you will see from two long reports T am sending you today (my Nos.
9 and 10). He is not at ail in good spirits though very kind to us.
^ esterday T had a little brush up with our friend Ahmad Thaniyan whom you
know very well. In talkinpr of Bin Saud's affairs and Government's inattention
(so called) he said " Major J )ickson only forwards letters, he has no power, etc."
Both F;,rhan Beg and myself naturally felt annoyed as it was not only imperti
nence but wrong and mischievous remark. On our talking rather sharply and
telling him how much you had done for Bin Saud whose interests you had'made
as your own, the gentleman changed at once and started to speak in a different
strain—appreciation, gratitude and the like. :
To my amazement Bin Saud himself said in the course of conversation in the
evening (probably an echo of Ahmad Thaniyan's talk of the noon) that his agents in
Bahrein, " Wukalai fil Bahrain " had written to say that Major Dickson did not
if . • ^ take as much interest in his (Bin Saud's) affairs as formerly. We both argued the
point and Bin Saud was evidently satisfied with our explanations. Farhan is
f ^ positive that it is worthy Yusuf Kanoo doing petty mischief. He it is and not
Qusaibi (as I thought) who must have written some trash to the Imam, who you
know is so fond of getting news from any place or person.
The truth of the matter is that poor Bin Saud is extremely bored and worried
now-a-days as you will see from my reports and his own letter to you which he
sent me to glance at just now. His indebtedness, increasing expenditure, the
actions of Sharifs, Bin Rashid and Bin Sabah have all joined together to make
Abdul-Aziz unhappy as he appears to me. He is even a bit nervous. In talking to
the Kuwi it deputation yesterday morning he blushed red all of a sudden and
spoke in greatly irritated, almost undignified, tone " Take your camels away, there
they are, as many as I could collect I cannot keep them as Shariah makes it haram
for me to do so. Let Salim expect no good of me, no friendship or relations, all is
over. As to Bin Rashid, before the month is out I shall be on his head in Hail."
Still Bin Saud is very kind and courteous to us. He sends for us daili/ about
twice a day and also came and saw us in our room today. He took me round to
his Madhif (guest house), his big toshakhana and the guests' dining hall. All these
point out to a very large expenditure. I saw some dozen big degs each said to hold
five zabihah sheep with rice, some scores of Badus dining and an equal number
receiving the kisivah and busy putting the robes on as soon as handed to them by
Ibn Shalhub and his lieutenants. The Imam looked at all this with much self
satisfaction saying " Hadha shughl Badu wa 'atao hum, " etc. He would
repeatedly say that this entertainment and presents of cloth and money went on
daily and emptied his coffers.
It is very interesting to note that in talking about general health and doctor
for Riyadh Bin Saud said he was very anxious to have a doctor as soon as may be,
be it an Indian or an Englishman, he only wanted a good man professionally and
morally. I said an English doctor would be better, especially as a surgeon. I did
not say but I know from experience that an Indian Muslim doctor (unless he is
Wahabi and regular in prayers, fasting, etc., briefly actively religious) will be more
hated than an Englishman, who will only have to avoid drinking to be tolerably
liked here.
Except for the heat Riyadh is a vey good place, only too much of t]:e religious
mania, a stranger must expect to hear or overhear curses even in reply to salaam.
My habit of prayer-saying has stood in good stead and I have perfoce made a
" Musalman " of Farhan Beg who was less regular before. The heat and flies bv
day make it very unpleasant. Nights are ideal, nice and cool and calm. Water is
good and becomes icy cool in the skins covered with gunny bags—a great relief
indeed. There are very good gardens, we have been inside of two of both the
Imams. Grapes, dates, figs, water melon, hJiokhs are all very good and we at
least, get plenty of them. The town is less dirty than Manamah but just under
the soor there a e heaps of filth and rubbish.
All is well except that we are rather sorry over the prospect of Haj —perhaps
we my not get p. chance at all which will be very bad indeed, from all points of view.
I hope all is well in Bahrein and that you are enjoying the best of health, by grace
14