Page 540 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Court. Very late, so annoying as we wanted to be early to go in good time to the Police Sports. Sports in the
afternoon. They had a big tent put up out in the plain near the Fort with chairs in it and rows of chairs on each side.
There was a huge crowd when we arrived. Almost all the white people were there and the Shaikh and a lot of the
Royal Family. We took James and the ayah, he looked very bonny in a little blue suit and seemed to enjoy it all
especially the school band. The Shaikh was very interested at seeing him there and constantly talked to him so did a
lot of the Arabs who were sitting near. He held quite a reception. The sports themselves were the usual sort of thing,
races, jumping, putting the weight etc and a tug of war. The only interesting thing was the wrestling which one does
not often see. The Indians are very good at it. They put on a couple of prisoners to wrestle too which was a great
success. There was tea and mild drinks provided and lots of coffee. The crowd was very badly managed and pushed
right up to the tent so that after some time it was impossible for anybody except a very few people to see anything
that was going on. Saleh, my man, was very gorgeously dressed and joined in the dancing, they had the usual dancing
by the naturs. They were very brilliantly dressed in scarlet orange and green with bright headcloths carrying daggers
swords and old rifles which they fired off all the time but with blank ammunition. Their dance is the same as one sees
in many other people, they circle round and round swinging their weapons round in the air and singing, doing queer
little steps. Then a pair of them, one a very old black man, did a duet, a sort of mock fight each with huge swords,
they capered about and leapt in the air and pretended to be fighting. The show went on a long time as the Shaikh
ordered more dancing at the end so nobody could leave till he did. He loves the Arab dances. In the evening we
dined at Mespers. A farewell dinner to de Grenier who went aboard after dinner. The captain and one of the officers
of the boat were at dinner. We played roulette after dinner. Walker and D.G. made speeches at dinner. D.G. does so
enjoy anything of that sort. The Shaikh liked the sports so much that he said they ought to be held every three
months. Flying boat came, we put up Col. Taylor.

Sunday 30th March

Took Colonel Taylor and Howe up to the Biladya garden to see the flowers. He is a great gardener and takes much
interest in it. The stocks make a grand show but are getting over. The aeroplane meant to go today but it was so
misty that they couldnt get off. Went down to the Customs in the morning as there was some trouble about an
import of tea and I met Walker there and settled about it. Went out to Sakhrir in the afternoon. Took out the tutor
with us, he had been in Manama for the day. He is slightly more resigned now but is having a wretched time still.
Talked to the Shaikh about the Government appointments for the new Municipal council in Manama. He seemed
rather nervous of not re-appointing all the present men if any of them were to be returned but wanted to shift them
all and have a clean sweep. Spoke of various things. The Meglis was very dirty and swarms of flies. The Shaikh
doesnt seem to mind these things. Walker came in to dinner and we had a four for Bridge. Taylor plays very well,
and won. Walker [Taylor] is a very nice fellow and a gentleman so we like having him to stay. He is going home next
year just about when we do but I hope we see him in Baghdad if we go that way. I had suggested to The Shaikh that
his son Sulman should be on the Meglis but he entirely disapproved. He said that as he was Magistrate on the
Bahrain court it would be unsuitable. I think I agree to his idea so was sorry I suggested it.

Monday 31st March
Court. Shaikh Sulman had a case about some land so with much show he moved his chair and had a chair sent for on
which the other party sat. He seemed to enjoy this little performance very much and talked a great deal about it
saying that if he himself brought a case he could not sit down while the defendant stood. I took the case which, as it