Page 24 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

12 Records of Bahrain

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The members of the family, Booing that Shaikh Salman had the
support of his two uncles (the moat influential and reapoctod
members of the Khalifah family), unanimously signified thoir
acceptance of Shaikh Salman.
7. In the late afternoon of February 20th ilr.Bolgrave
informed mo that the Khalifuh family had chosen Shaikh Salman
to succeed his father. I did not know at that time what
part Shaikh Abdullah had played in the selection of Shaikh
Salman, nor had I reason to suppose that any of the Khalifah

family knew the contents of Shaikh Hamad's testament appoint­
ing Shaikh Salman to succeod him. It seemed to me that
Shaikh Salman had already gone a considerable way to estab­
lishing himself in his father's place and that, if the con­
tents of Shaikh Hamad's testament wore known, Shaikh Salman's
position would become secure against any possible rival, I

therefore aBked Ur.Belgravo to aecuro Shaikh Hamad's testa-
ment from the local branch of the Eastern Bank, whoro it was
lying in safe custody, and to take it to Shaikh Salman
immediately • Some difficulty was oxpericflcod in obtaining
from the Bank the eealod envelope containing 3haikh Hamad's
testament but eventually Ur.Belgrave socurod the envelope
and, having arranged a private interview with Shaikh Salman,
delivered it to him at 8 p.m, 3haikh Salman was both
pleased and relieve^ to find that his father had appointed
him his successor. He said that neither he nor any other
member of the family had any knowledge of Shaikh Hamad' a
testament although one or two people knev/ that Shaikh Hamad
had on one occasion signed an important document, He said

that he would try to get his two uncles to endorse the
document in token of their acceptance of its contents and
that he would also liko it to be elgnod by tho Political
Agent.
/ 8.