Page 463 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

461

1929

Started the case against Hamed bin Abdulla al Ghattam. Took the evidence of the relations of the two Bahranis who
were murdered. To my mind there is absolutely no doubt that the man Hamed was with the people who attacked the
house. He is a nasty little creature. The Court consists of Sulman and I and Abdulla. Sulman is very obviously
prejudiced in favour of the accused. It is natural as they are all relations. The brother of the man asked if he could not
appear instead of him as he was more accustomed to courts. Its altogether a most awkward business. The Triad and
the Lupin arrived in the morning, Barrett on the Triad. They arrived in the afternoon. Went along in the car to meet
them and then to the Agency where the Shaikh called, and then we all went to Mespers and I had dinner at the Agency.
Barrett seemed very well and in good form, told very funny stories about a certain Mrs Cressy Marks, a lady of the
Rosita Forbes style, who has been cruising about the Gulf and this part of the near east. She came here on a boat but
hadnt time to get off. She threatens to come here in December. She sounds amusing. Not much news. Barrett talked
hardly any shop except about turning the Police from Indians into Sudanese which I think is a very good idea, my
suggestion. He leaves tomorrow.

Thursday 1st August

Still wonderfully cool for this time of year. I continue to sleep on the veranda, saving up the roof till it gets really hot,
but at this rate there wont be more than two and a half months heat altogether. Court all the morning. I am quite
satisfied with the evidence but I dont think Shaikh Sulman is, I am doubtful about Abdulla. Lunch at the Palace, Barret
Prior and the S.N.O. The Commander of the Lupin didnt come. Lunch in the big meglis, mutton rather tough. Didnt
stay very long. The Shaikh spoke to me about selling the Palace and building a new one, he thought I might talk to
Barrett about it. He talked about the trial also and said wouldnt it be better to send it to the Shera Court. He thought I
might not like to have the responsibility! Really he thinks we may convict and so wants to push it on to the Shera
Court. Went back to the Agency and saw them off from the Pier. Tennis at Agency, the Strakers and the Captain of
the Lupin. Prior came in to dinner with me. Barrett seems to have approved of most of the things he put up to him.
Rather warm but not really very hot.

Friday 2nd August

Stayed late in bed and then went over to the Agency to see Prior about some business. Tennis in afternoon. Really
nothing to write about. Prior came to dinner which I now have outside on the veranda, not really very hot. Lately we
asked that there should be a special air service from Bahrain to Basra and back, to link up with the ordinary air mail, a
reply came saying that they are sending one machine, but this appears is a special chartered one for Rosenthal and
Habib, but said to be catching the mail. One occasional one is no use to us nor can one post for it at the office here.
The pearl merchants say that if there was a regular service they would use it a great deal but a single one is no use.
Abdulla and Sulman came to discuss the trials.

Saturday 3rd [August]

The seaplane arrived in the morning. Court. Warm day but not really very hot. Taking these cases has taken such a lot
of my time lately. The Shaikh called at the Agency in the afternoon and I went over with him, to meet Sir John
Salmon, the Air Vice Marshall, who is on his way to India by air to take up command of the Air Force there. A very
pleasant man, very like his brother but rather older. He seemed to be very impressed by the Shaikh. We were sorry it