Page 591 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Saturday 6th September

Court, sat very late though we didnt finish all the cases on the list. Didnt get up till after two. Haji Bassam
called in the afternoon and had tea with us. M went to visit the head wife of Shaikh Abdulla and I went to
Muharrak with Parke to dine with Shaikh Abdulla. Haji Bassam seemed much better and was really very
amusing. He told me a long story of how Dickson was moved from here, he was Political Agent before Daly.
The people got annoyed with him, mainly the Dawasir, and made a petition against him. He got to hear of it
and with much difficulty got hold of it and tore it up, but they made it in duplicate and sent the copy to the
Resident who acted on it and moved him from Bahrain. The particulars were very amusing. Had a very
pleasant dinner out at Deir a garden outside Muharrak. The Shaikh was there and a number of relations and
several of the big merchants. They had big tents put up, with brightly coloured linings and carpets spread in
them, and the dinner was outside on the desert in the light of a nearly full moon. A most excellent dinner. It
was such a picturesque scene, a garden in the background, tall date palms, silver coloured sand with a bunch
of camels tethered near some huts and then the tents with lamps in them and the gaily dressed Arabs sitting
about on carpets and in the tents. Went across and returned by launch, a full tide and nice and cool on the
water.

Sunday [7 September]

Customs. James has bad fever again. Went out early before breakfast to see about some land cases with
Shaikh Sulman. Took two diving cases, it is dreadful this year, so many of the boat captains cant get the
money to carry on till the end of the season and are releasing their divers and giving it up. It has never been
like this before. Dame called to talk about a case which is interesting the Mission in which their one convert
was accused of being the father of a young woman's baby. The Shaikh went to Sakhrir. Rashid bin Mohamed
had a big dinner party but I didnt go as we had people to tennis and tea. The court is much better now really
quite good. We had all the English people except Parke who couldnt come including the doctor and his wife.

Monday [8 September]

Court. Motored in the afternoon. Cant remember any news as forgot to write up the diary.

Tuesday 9th September

Manama Municipal Council meeting. Discussed a scheme of subsidised wiring of houses and though to my
mind it was far too generous some of the members seemed very suspicious about it, postponed it till the
next meeting. Finally decided to repeal the law about ghee and to allow any kind of artificial ghee or butter
or margarine to come in but with a duty of 2% to be taken by the Biladya. Also decided to allow
gramaphones to be played in coffee shops, a question which has been argued about for many years and
which was opposed by Shaikh Mohamed who considered it immoral. He will be very angry when he comes
back and finds all his pet subjects reversed. Tennis at the Mission. Quite good tennis and a lot of people