Page 410 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1929

things that had been said to him at the last Biladya meeting, that he saved all the money instead of spending it on
improvements.

Sunday 3rd Feb.

I had meant to go out and see the School but all the morning I had people in to see me, among them a deputation of
merchants complaining of the latest regulations of the Municipality, also the man who wants a concession to make
bricks and lime plaster. He brought a number of sample tiles some quite nice ones. Drove out to Mohamed Yatim's
garden in the afternoon and Parke came to dinner. He talked shop the entire time without ceasing once, about the big
case. More of the men have now admitted that they were ordered to do the various shootings by some of the Shaikh's
own relations. Letters from some of the Shaikhs were found in one of the mens houses. Went over to the Agency for a
few minutes before dinner. Barrett said how he disapproved of Parke taking oath that he would not let on what was
told to him by the prisoners, of course with no intention of keeping it. He actually mentioned this in one of his reports.

Monday 4th [February]

Court. Had a long talk with Parke and Shaikh Sulman about how this case is to be taken. The Shaikh sent him in to
discuss it with me. The Shaikh's idea is not to have a proper trial at all but to have the men up, sentence them and have
them executed secretly. Of course Barrett would never agree to such an arrangement. We decided that the Shaikh
should not be on the Court as he is the person in one of the cases who they were trying to murder, I suggested Sulman,
and Abdulla. As Abdulla is one of the people who is implicated he would be certain to condemn the men to shield
himself, and if they accused him in Court he is quite clever enough to suppress any such idea. I think it would be a
good move to put him on the Court. Rather late as we were so much delayed and couldnt get the cases done. Went to
the Mission in the afternoon. A missionary from Kuwait was there quite a pleasant woman who had lately done a tour
in Persia and spoke quite interestingly. The Strakers came to dinner and we played Bridge. They are quite pleasant to
have to dinner being our sort of ages at all events, though both quite common. He talked a lot after dinner about the
Landing Company question.

Tuesday [5 February]

We and the Barretts went over to Muharrak in the morning and M and Mrs B called on Ayesha while B and I walked
round the town looking at the wells and the improvements in the roads which have been made by the Municipality. We
drank coffee with Ali bin Seggar and then called for the others at Ayesha's house. We went in for a few minutes. She
was not looking her best as the colours of her clothes did not suit her. The old mother looked very ill and complained
of toothache and head ache. Motored up to the Biladya garden in the afternoon and took some plants from there to the
Shaikh's garden where we met Parke who came back to tea with us.

Wednesday 6th Feb.

Went down to Mespers and talked to Straker about the Landing Contract. D.G. came in. Looked in at the Joint Court
for a couple of minutes. Shaikh Mohamed was acting for the Shaikh. Abdulla bin Jabr, the Shaikh's confidential