Page 390 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1928

Went over to Muharraq. Found the Shaikh with all his relations, sitting outside his house watching the dancing in
honour of Sh Abdulla's son's wedding. Got the Shaikh to go inside with me and Abdulla and Mohamed. Talked to him
about the Persian business and got him to sanction my sending the letter about passports. Then we went to the Bride's
parents house and drank coffee. All the Khalifa Shaikhs were present, a big gathering of them and all gorgeously
dressed in their wedding garments. Afterwards, led by the Shaikh, we solemnly went into the bridal room, sat on the
floor and were sprinkled with rose water and incensed. The room was a small one on the ground floor, the walls
entirely covered with squares of different coloured silks and hung with mirrors and glass ornaments of the sort that one
puts on Xmas trees. One side separated off by a transparent silk curtain with a large bed in it, a table with a number of
candles. Stayed to lunch and then went back to Manama. A good day for sailing. In the afternoon Ayesha came to
tea. She looked very well and handsome. Abdulla bin Jabr came with her. Gave him the present I had brought out for
him, a sword stick. He seemed very pleased with it. Ayesha talked much of a certain Egyptian poetess who came to
stay with the Shaikh while I was away. She was very up to date and went about unveiled. The Shaikh seems to have
behaved rather sillily as he took her to a luncheon picnic at one of the gardens that happened to have her name and paid
her very fulsome compliments. Ayesha pretends to be all against the present system of Arab women being treated, as
she says like animals, but when it comes to the Shaikh going about with an Egyptian poetess she gets very angry. She
seemed very bright and talked a lot about education etc for women.
Went along to Bienenfelds afterwards to see the instrument which he has got for detecting cultured pearls.
Its a wonderful affair worked by electric lights. There is a tiny hollow needle in the machine and inside the needle four
mirrors, but all so small ...

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Saturday 10th November

Started on the Court. Took a good many cases then Parke came and began on the subject of the Superintendent.
Talked about it for about an hour and then sent for by the Shaikh to the Agency. Went across and found him and Sh:
Abdulla with Barrett discussing the question of the Kadi. Barrett agreed to send a wire to the High Commissioner of
Bagdad telling him that the Shaikh did not want the ex Kadi Shaikh Khalaf to return to Bahrain, also he said that we
could keep the ex Interpreter of the Agency, Shaikh Ali, from landing in Bahrain but he, Barrett, must not know about
it officially. The Shaikh had shown decided signs of giving way and allowing the banished kadi to return simply
because a certain faction of the Baharnis badgered him on the subject. He is always inclined to do anything for a quiet
life and if one bothers him enough he gives way, though in this case in the long run he would have had lots of bother if
he allowed the banished kadi to return. The banished Kadi had managed to get round King Faisal if Irak and the King
wrote to the Shaikh on behalf of the Kadi. This was while I was away. Any letter from outside people alarms the
Shaikh and he was quite prepared to say that he had no objection to the Kadi's return. We hear that the Kadi on being
banished from here had gone straight to the Persian Governor of Bushire and complained. The Persian said that he
would get powerful Shias in Irak to take up the Kadis case with the King and would get him reinstated in Bahrain, BUT
in return for this the Kadi when he returned to Bahrain must work for Persia. Its a pretty intrigue the whole affair and I
am glad the Shaikh has been pushed into taking a firm stand. The pushers are his brothers! The Shaikh then asked me
to approach Abdu Ali, chief of the Shias in Manama, and Ahmed bin Khamis, a very fanatical Shia leader from
Senobis, on the subject of the new Kadi to be appointed. He paid me a compliment by saying to Barrett that I was the