Page 449 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

447

1929

Friday June 14th

Went down the bazaar and called on Jasim Kanoo and had a talk about the wakf business. He quite saw the point and
was all for having a council to manage the wakfs, not leaving them entirely in the hands of the Kadis. Called on
Zayani but he was out, then to the Bank. They never seem to play Bridge there in the mornings now. The Strakers
were having a curry tiffin, horrible, I refused there seems to be a fashion for them now a days. Tennis at the Agency.
After the Mission had left everyone seemed to get very noisy. Mrs Straker was really very comic, she began throwing
things about. In the evening Prior and I went along to D.G's and went down the town, with Barden also who we met at
D.G's. D.G. was terribly fussy and officious, constantly calling for chairs and behaving in what I found a most
irritating way. He does try and make himself so important. We went to Abdel Nebi Bushiris matem and to two others
to listen to the reading and then we looked on at the people dancing round and beating their chests. Its a queer sight.
They get very excited. I think Barden was rather nervous, one well might be never having seen it before. There did
not seem to be so many at it as two years ago when I saw the show. The matems are very picturesque buildings with
arches and pillars, quite unlike the ordinary buildings inside. One of the preachers suddenly said in the middle of his
sermon that he was sorry not to be able to go on longer, as he would like to preach for our benefit, but his voice was so
tired so he hoped we would come again. He was really most interesting. Got back quite late.

Saturday [15 June]

Spent the whole morning on the murder case. The man admitted everything but said he struck the woman on her leg
not on her side. It is a simple case and neither Shaikh Sulman or I have any doubts about it. We did not pronounce the
sentence as I said I would speak to Shaikh Hamed about it first. The man had been carrying on with the woman for
four years, though she was married. He came to her house, where she lived with an old father and mother and several
children. She let him in while the father was outside but the father heard them and hit him on the head with a stick. He
ran out but hid in the house, in a shed outside. The old man went to get help from a neighbour, the girl came out into
the yard and the man attacked her and stabbed her with a knife. He said that he was confused and thought that she
might have told her father about him. I think I know him by sight, I used to see him when I camped at the Fort. Played
my tennis game in the tournament in the afternoon and was beaten. Went out ... ... ... Dined with Prior, a good dinner
and ... ... ... events.

Sunday [16 June]

Went out to Sakhrir early ... ... ... It always seems to be when I ... ... ... sitting outside in the ... ... ... uncomfortable. It
... ... ... horrid in the day ... ... ... idea of his having a change of air, he seemed unenthusiastic and said it would cost so
much, but he was very keen on the idea of himself staying out at Sakhrir all the summer and not coming in to Manama,
sending one of his sons to act for him on the courts etc. He is a lazy old man. Discussed the wakf question which he
decided to put off, and various other things all of which he said "we will consider them after Muharram," though why
Muharram should matter to him, a Sunni, I cant see. Ibrahaim Khalid came up in a car demanding to see The Shaikh.
The Shaikh tried to palm me off onto him but I wasnt having any so he had him in and then told him that he was to be
tried, in order to show that he was innocent, for the attack on him, the Shaikh, Khalid looked very queer when he was