'File 61/6 vol.4 (D 34) Bin Saud and Akwan Movement' [‎92r] (183/565)

the closing prayer for Sultan of Turkey, who is usually styled Amir-ul-
Mouniiin " Commander-of-the-faithful
47. On returning to the palace after prayers, I called on Faisal Bin Abdul
Aziz and introduced Farhan to him. Faisal has been married recently and is
proud that his marriage has been noticed in English newspapers. He remem
bers his visit to England with lively pleasure and great satisfaction : says he
would like to learn English, but could not find a teacher in Riyadh. Farhan
suggested Mr. Muhammad Raushan Akhtar (proposed secretary of the
Baladiyah, Bahrein) as a very suitable person. Farhan subsequently told me
that he had also made this suggestion in a private conversation with Bin
Saud.
48. In the afternoon we called on Bin Saud who showed me two news
letters he had received from his secret informers in Madinah and Buraidah :
these would show that the Sherif had latterly sent an envoy in the person of
one Saleh A1 Daghistani to Ibn Rashid whom the Sherif is credited to have
supplied with 7^ camel-load of guns (artillery) ammunition, 6,000 cases of
arms and ammunition and 6,000 boxes (sic) of gun-powder. I have just
written and passed this information down to Bahrein together with ^Bin Saud s
remarks about this and other alleged hostile acts of King Hussain s. All this
is rather disappointing, and makes one fear that these two rulers are not likely
to live in peace.
49. Saturday, Sht July = 14th J)hit QaacW.j—Ahmad Thanaiyan called
on us and sat an hour or so. States no reply received as yet from Bahrein
regarding Bin Saud's proposal to send with us a small body of Nejd Hajj
party, in charge of one of the As-Saud, ruling, family. Hints that he himself
may be selected for the job. He says the Imam's mind is not a little disturbed
to see that Government presses him to go to Mecca with a very limited follow-
in^ and without arms. Wondered if Government really considered situation
or" knew the full facts about Bin Saud. Bahrein and Baghdad did not
sufficiently advocate his cause, so it was ignored and nothing came of his
repeated representations : (he even said Major Dickson had no power, but only
passed Bin Saud's communications on to Baghdad, which in its turn passed
them on to London ; that decisions were made and orders were passed m
London without fully knowing circumstances and facts). I had to argue
matter and lecture to him on the point to correct his views, and iarhan also
spoke, till at last Ahmad saw his own mistake.
60. In the afternoon Bin Saud called us and took us round his Mud hi f,
guest-house, a big square hall with balconies in front. It is a two-storey
building which is iust completed.- In one corner on the ground floor there
is the " Matbakh " (kitchen) where 10 or 12 huge kettles were ready with hot
pulao (rice and mutton), while some sixty to seventy men sat dmmg in three
eroups upstairs. They were eating out of big round trays. I was told that
some of the kettles contained two goats' meat and 60 lbs. nee, and others three
eoats and 80 lbs of rice. Several scores of men had already caned and some
more were waiting outside for their turn. Bin Saud said, with an air o self-
satisfaction, that that feeding was going on daily with very slight increase or
decrease in number of guests and visitors who are also joined by Imam e slaves
or servants.
51. After the Maghrib prayer Bin Saud called us both to his private
Mailis, and spoke first about Kuweit-Mutair affairs, which evidently worried
him a eood deal. He said that he asked for Government s intervention at the
very out-set, but was told that he had better settle it up himself with Shaikh
Salim. Now that he was going to do so, Government had changed their mind,
and were reminding him of his treaty obligations to submit the dispute to
Government's arbitration which he was willing to do.
52 Then the conversation turned to climate and sanitation of Riyadh and
need for a doctor. Doctor Harrison had been called through Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. ,
but had been reported to be absent in India. Bin Saud said that Dr. Harrison
was liked in Neid as he adopted Arab dress and manners and spoke Arabic.
An English doctor of such nature'and manners and of a good moral character
would be equally welcojne in Riyadh. An Indian Muslem doctor was not
necessarily required, but only proposed by Bin Saud in view of the general
prejudice which a Christian could gradually overcome as Dr. Harnsou had
succeeded in doing by visiting Hassaand Riyadh.