Page 209 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

207

1927

Thursday [28 April]

Court, but Sh Sulman did not come. Motored in afternoon & called on Parke. Cant remember much as forgot to write.

Friday [29 April]

Went down the bazaar & called on Pickering in the morning. Various people came in, he always has a sort of party at the
bank on Friday mornings. Then came back & went to Sitra. Took Mohamed Khalil, Omar & one of my Court messengers.
Motored to "Essex Point" & was met there by a donkey which took us onto the sailing boat. A good wind so only 20 minutes
getting across, a trifle warm but not unpleasant. Sitra is a biggish island with several villages & a lot of palm gardens
confiscated by the Govt from the xxx some relations of the Khalifa family called Khalid who murdered several people,
Bahrainis, at Sitra because they hadn't paid their rents. Its rather pretty, the palms grow right down on the shore & are
reflected in the sea.

Went to the house of the headman one Hagi Hassan bin Mazook - an old scoundrel. He had lunch prepared in a grass house
near his own, really quite nice, bread, hard boiled eggs, dates & messy sweets, only the latter rather nasty, & fresh milk. Sat
talking for some time & then mounted donkeys again & went off to see the gardens & the big spring, which is a beauty