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1928

of the standing Arabs, in the shade made by them, a long line of people sitting on carpets, all men but there were some
Arab ladies in the distance in motors. We sat with the Shaikh, on the ground. About twenty of the Shaikh's followers
and relations gallopped up and down between the two lines of spectators, sometimes one by one, sometimes the whole
crowd. There ought to have been more of them and most of the ponies were not up to much. Shaikh Abdulla looked
very magnificent on a bay stallion dressed in scarlet and gold, some of the clothes were really splendid, sky blue,
orange, scarlet, purple, green, black and vermillion and all covered in gold embroidery. Banners with the Khalifa
colours, red and white, were stuck up about the ground. After watching the horses for some time we went to look at
the dancing. That I had seen before but there was more of it. The colours of the clothes were really wonderful and the
whole show was very fine, drums and cymbals beating all the time and thousands of people. It reminded me of a race
meeting as there were sweetmeat sellers and lemonade sellers among the crowd. All the royal family were there in full
force even the youngest boys always dressed exactly like the grown up men. Children out here do not wear different
clothes to grown ups but exactly the same only some sizes smaller. It gives them such a sedate old appearance. When
the Shaikh went back to the town we drove out to Abdulla's garden. One of the young Shaikhs took us out there in his
father's big Fiat car. We tried to learn the steps of some of the dances from him much to the amusement of the
gardeners. The dances were mostly the same style. A long string of men going slowly round the circle flourishing
rifles and swords and singing a war song. We drove back to the town about half an hour after sunset to the Shaikh's
house. There M and Mrs Straker left us and went off to dinner at Ayesha's, much the best plan. All this had been
arranged by the Shaikh who is really very thoughtful nowadays about such matters. We went into the big Meglis and
sat there for awhile. The Shaikh told me that Shaikh Abdulla was going off tomorrow to the mainland "to hunt bustard
and women" he divorced a wife yesterday and is going over there to get a new one to replace her. He does this every
year. Had dinner, not a very good one. I always think that the Shaikh's dinners are the worst that one has. A big
crowd in the Meglis, about 100 men, almost all Khalifa Shaikhs. After dinner the Shaikh whispered to me that he had
arranged for M and Mrs S to go to the Bride's house and meet us there. As he had arranged this I could say nothing
though I didnt quite approve. Walked in solemn procession through the town accompanied by servants carrying
lanterns and followed by hundreds of men singing and shouting and beating drums to the house of the bride, daughter
of one of the Shaikh's nephews, a son of the Shaikh's elder brother who died a long time ago. Received there by the
bride's father, a hideous little man with a black beard, very hairy. Drank coffee in the Meglis and then processed into
the inner courtyard where there were hundreds of women singing and beating drums, most black slave women, at least
ones who used to be slaves, but on the roof there were a lot of Arab ladies of the Khalifa houses. Went up two flights
of steep stairs onto the roof and through into the wedding appartment. The usual style, hung with silks and ornament
with glass balls and dozens of mirrors. Through the whole show the bridegroom had kept entirely in the background.
He is a loutish looking youth about seventeen. When we arrived there we found M and Mrs S there. I think some of
the old Shaikhs were extremely surprised, and no wonder, however it was the Shaikh's doing. It may be that he does it
to show how up to date he is in his ideas. Sat there for a few minutes and then departed, leaving the bridegroom in the
room. Motored down to the quay and across to Manama by launch. Really a very interesting day. Mrs S who had
never in her life been to such an occasion was rather alarmed at times especially when they were taken to the brides
house through the mob of shrieking females, without any of us there. M got on very well at Ayesha's and could
understand and make her understand in Arabic. Ayesha was very pleased and said she should always come without an
interpreter as she would learn better that way. Very hot damp evening. The summer seems to have come back again.

Thursday 15th November

Court in the morning. A lot of dull cases, one rather involved one in which two men agreed to divorce their respective
wives so that they could remarry the other way round, one divorced his and then the other one wouldnt stick to the