Page 530 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

down a lot in two rubbers so we listened to the wireless which was delightful, we heard Carmen from Rome
and various other programmes, I enjoyed it very much indeed. No news by the evening about the escaped
murderer. The Jordans play Bridge badly and usually lose and get very annoyed when they do so. Message
from the Kadi that he wanted to come and see me about urgent business, the Katif show, he said he was
coming at seven oclock but after waiting till eight I had given him up and then got a message to say he was
not coming. I hear that the Amir of Katif caught nine of the men who had taken out Bahrain nationality
certificates and beat them publicly beating one of them to death. A disgraceful affair but typical of the
doings of Ibn Saouds followers. Fired the guns for the Eid in the evening and rang all the fire bells, rather a
disappointing effect, they sounded like school bells and made very little noise.
Sunday 2nd March EID al Fitr.

The first day of the Eid. Drove out to call on the Shaikh in the morning with the Jordans. Arrived rather late
and after waiting some time we were shown into one of the other rooms and he appeared. He talked much
about the murder and electric light. Didnt stay long and motored home again. No people out there. In the
afternoon Prior went out to call and we took Mrs Pam out in the car to AAli and then to see the Biladya
garden which was much admired. Prior came in to tea. He was very dour as he had a wire from P.R. and
from High Commissioner Irak ticking him off for sending a telegram from Ibn Saoud in clear instead of in
code. He read the message to me, it was interesting, all about the result of the conference and evidently Ibn
Saoud did not get everything all his own way. He sounded decidedly peevish. Went to Mespers in the
evening to play Bridge. Haji Sulman, the Head of Police, came round before we left very sad at not having
found the murderer in spite of us having offered a reward of Rs 500 to anyone who gave news resulting in his
capture. I told him to send up some men to the house and search it on the chance of finding a photo of the
man which we could advertise. They saw a beggar man with a sack over his head sitting near the door and
happened to ask him who he was, the man did not answer, they spoke to him again and he did not reply, so
growing suspicious one of the men pulled the sack off his head and it was the wanted man. They arrested
him and brought him to the Police station and came and told me. I saw the fellow, a nasty looking specimen.
He is a foreigner, an Iraki. Parke is due tomorrow, made arrangements to send out a sailing boat to get him
from his boat which only goes to the outer anchorage 20 miles off. The Police are very pleased at having
caught the man. Shaikh Abdulla, the Shia Kadi, and various others called in the evening to discuss the
question of Baharna in Katif. He said that they were being oppressed in every way and some beaten and
some killed. He asked if the Government or the Agency would not assist them. I said we could do nothing
without definite reliable information and any action that was based on false rumours would do more harm
than good. He seemed satisfied with the interview, he is very intelligent.

Monday [3 March]

Second day of the Eid. Went over to Muharrak with Prior in his launch to pay calls, M went in another launch
with Mrs Pam and Mrs Jordan to call first on Ayesha and then on young Ayesha. We went first to Shaikh Isa.
The streets were crowded with people in their new clothes going round paying calls, the little girls were
particularly gorgeous in brilliant coloured silks, some with squares of different colours sort of patch work.
Crowds of people outside Isa's house and lots of people singing and dancing, the usual sort of Arab war
dance done mostly by the household servants and ex slaves, much firing of rifles and drumming. The colours