Page 322 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1927

carpets & coloured cloths. The line of the procession all decorated & hung with glass coloured balls, flags, palm branches &
bunting. The public building ornamented with carpets, flags, mirrors & lots of palm branches. They remind me of a booth at a
fair. Busy morning writing out invitations for the dinner. Kanoo sent his head clerk three times to enquire about exact place &
way to wear his decorations. Tennis at Mespers. Afterwards went round to the Agency. In evening translated the speech
which I composed for the Shaikh into Arabic with the aid of Mohamed Khalil & Ali bin Hussein. Very busy day altogether.
There have never been such elaborate decorations or arrangements in Bahrain.

Thursday 3rd Nov

Went down to the Customs in the morning & showed the Amir & Superintendent where the Police were to be. A wire arrived
saying that the ship was not arriving till 2 pm instead of noon. Abdulla & Suliman came in on their way to call on Barrett, very
gorgeously dressed & carrying their swords. Had lunch early, then the boat appeared & I went down to the Customs. Crowds
of people. There must have been several thousands of them. Great difficulty over seats, persons who had a right to good
places were pushed out by nobodies, much feeling & unpleasantness about it & very nearly a row between Arabs & Persians.
It was a wonderful sight, hundreds of chairs & hundreds of people sitting on the ground. The Shaikh arrived & I went off with
him and Abdulla & Suliman to the ship. Two relations squeezed in & came too - though by rights they should not have. Nice
& calm. The ship was about 3 miles off. Stayed on board about half an hour. Usual conversation, mostly compliments. The