Page 421 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

419

1929

who sold liquor to Ali bin Shaikh Abdulla. Gave him eight months in prison and his belongings to be sold up. I have
heard that Shaikh Mohamed, my fellow Magistrate, is addicted to drink himself, certainly he seemed inclined to be
very lenient. A lot of cases and several of them Police reports, really the result of people losing their tempers owing to
fasting. I can well imagine that they must feel pretty cross by the end of the day. Went out in the afternoon and did a
sketch on the Budeya road of a bit of the sea down a vista of palm trees and almonds with straw fence on each side of
the road, a very pretty bit but extremely difficult as it was all trees and I cant paint them well. The Barretts went out
for the day in the John Lambert. Lovely day, if anything a trifle warm. Doing some repairs to the walls of the house
and also made a partition down below which makes a new office. Dinner with the Strakers. Some insect is spoiling all
my hollihocks and double marigolds. Shall spray them with tobacco. Can think of no other cure. Very annoying.
There is such a lot going on these days, always boats up and down. It looks very pretty. Shaikh Mohamed came in to
call but as he found I had a Court, and the place literally crammed with people, he did not stay. D.G. came in too but I
handed him over to my Head Clerk as I was so very busy. The silugi dog is better.

Sunday 10th March 1929

Went down the bazaar to see about some repairs to the Shaikh's property. It seems always to be needing mending.
Many of the shops are made of matting which does not last long and very soon blows off and tears. Spent a long time
down there and then went up to the Palace to see a wall which had blown over and will have to be mended. Had a talk
with the Secretary of the Municipality when I was in the bazaar. In the afternoon we went out to the Portuguese Fort
with the Strakers and had a picnic there. It was rather windy and sand blowing so not as pleasant there as usual. Made
a fire and boiled a kettle. Mrs Straker had not been out there and was very pleased to get away for a change and to see
a new place. It must have been an enormous place at one time, there is a deep moat and four towers still standing, one
at each corner, made of cut stones. Went in to their house on the way back and played Bridge. Their small boy is very
attractive and growing very fast. He is a good advertisement for health here.

Monday 11th March

Office in the morning. Had de Grenier round and discussed various things including his own contract, which is in
many ways different to ours. He is now to be allowed to remain on and I suggested that his contract should be
remodelled on ours. Tennis at the Mission. Rather bad tennis as usual. The Barretts brought Molson who has not
gone yet as his boat, which came yesterday, has not begun to unload owing to the very strong wind. Parke came in
afterwards. A great deal of delay about seeing the new moon that is the sign of the end of Ramadan. The Kadi
eventually sent a message saying that only one man had seen it and that was not enough. It needs three men witnesses
or six women, womens' evidence being counted at half the value of mens'. Parke stayed on to dinner. Eventually they
got enough evidence as the guns were fired off in the middle of the night. I dont suppose really anybody saw it. The
whole business is a farce. The Shias are divided about it, some will start the holiday tomorrow but some will fast
another day. It is always like that every year. We have now seen four Ramadans in Bahrain, we arrived here during
the month of Ramadan.

Shaikh Isa's wife, the "Queen" is going to do The Pilgrimage. We think she wants to be out of the way
during this murder trial as the Khalid Shaikhs who instigated the murders are special pets of hers, and the money was
doubtless provided by the old lady herself. She used to say that she would never do another Pilgrimage till Shaikh Isa
died. He is 85 and she about 60. My Head Clerk is ill which is a very great nuisance, means more work for me.