Page 358 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1928

The Shaikh talked about the Sea Road, electric light, allowances of his beastly relations - they really
annoy me, & approved of my selection for the new Meglis Urfi. Reuters mentioned the Persians are making another
claim for Bahrain before the League of Nations. The Shaikh didnt show much interest about it & merely said that they
never lost a chance of claiming it but thanks to the British Govt they would not get it.

One of the relations whose allowance was clipped, son & brother of two of the Royal Family who were
convicted of murder some years ago - has settled on the Shaikh & refuses to depart unless he gets his allowance back,
also he threatens to go & tell Bin Saoud, the Shaikh is dreadfully agitated & wants me to give it back - instead of
telling the fellow off & sending him home he wants to give in to him "because he has a bad tongue". Anybody can get
round him, he is really hopelessly weak.

Tennis at Mespers, Bridge. Warm damp day, south wind & later on a shamaal. The Shaikh is living at
Sakhrir with only a few servants & none of his wives, they are at Muharrak & one in Manama, & very annoyed at it all.
He seems to be getting very bored by them all & neglects them.

Thursday [5 January]

Court. Went down to Customs to see the Shaikh. Interviewed the old lady in the Naimi case. Told her she had to hand
over her granddaughter. She made a lot of fuss but eventually agreed to hand the girl to her brother, not to the
guardian, until the girl marries after a year (she is now nine!).
Court & a lot of cases, one long one took a long time. People to tea & Bridge. A great row between
Parke & Smith & Armstrong as Parke sent a man to search the Bank in connection with a theft without a warrant -
quite wrong. Steering wheel of my car went all wrong.

Friday 6th [January]

Went down bazaar. Bought a little copper tray for 1½ rupees, polished up very well. Then to the garden. Nice day not
too hot. Tennis & Bridge at Agency. Pennings, of the mission, infuriated Parke by referring to the police as Pathans,
actually they are Punjabis. Poor tennis, boring. Cold in the evening.

Saturday Jan 7th

Went to call on the Kadi before the Court, the Sunni one who lives in Manama, one of the three Abdel Latifs. He had
asked me to come. He talked about a case & about my Court clerk & Shaikh Sulman saying that both were corrupt &
when I was away the behaved badly, favouring rich people etc. He also talked of the Shaikh saying that I was now
responsible for everything & everyone. Knew that the Shaikh took no interest in anything except hawking. He is a
pleasant sensible man but I think rather quick tempered, youngish & spotlessly clean & neat, always wears white. His
room was very comfortable, carpets, books, desk & chairs & he gave me quite good tea & very nice sort of pastry rolls.
He is going to be married on Monday having divorced his previous & only wife 18 months ago. Court. After lunch
motored round to see about some land of Mohamed Sherif then to the Agency where Shaikh Abdulla, Mubarak &
Mohamed were playing tennis - very little idea of it & not very agile in their flowing garments. Threw balls at them