Page 561 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Gar, out behind the mountain in the middle of the island, with Major Holmes and Mohamed Yatim. We had
a very nice drive and had tea there. The object of the expedition was to get some maidenhair ferns that
grow in the old well. We let a man down on a rope and he brought up a lot of plants which I planted in the
garden, but I am not at all sure that they will grow as they are difficult things to grow at any time. We had
dinner with Holmes when we got back, we had a puncture just outside Sakhrir on the way in so we were very
late getting home. That part of the island is absolutely

[p. 35, DIARY ENTRY INCOMPLETE]

Thursday June 5th 1930

No Court. I have given up having three a week and only have two now. Office work in morning. Old Hassam
came to call after tea and stayed some time gossiping. He hadnt any news of much importance. Everyone
was very surprised at Mohamed Sherif going bankrupt in such a manner. In the evening we went to Major
Holmes' picnic in Mohamed Yatim's garden. It is one of the best gardens about five or six miles out of the
town along the coast. We motored out there and met Parke, walking, on the way so picked him up. Prior
went out on one of his ponies. The dinner was outside the house and afterwards we played Bridge inside.
The owner of the garden has the best artesian well in Bahrain, it produces a huge supply and he has built his
house close to it with a big room on the top of the tank above the water, the room is wood and reminds me
of a country tea shop or a bungalow close to the Thames. We had a very good dinner. Some of them bathed
but I was playing Bridge all the time so didnt get a chance to. A pleasant change.

Friday [6 June]

Had breakfast with Holmes then to the Bank and Agency in the afternoon, very dull as there seemed to be so
few people there. Friday is the most social day in the week. Holmes had been buying more china, some of it
I should think is very good but not all, it makes me very annoyed to think that I have been here so long and
have never got hold of any. The Jordans did not play Bridge, as they play so badly they are no loss.

Saturday [7 June]

Holiday being the 9th of Muharram. The Muharram business seems to become more of an affair every year,
when we first came they did not seem to take it so seriously, we shut the office for two days so have a nice
holiday. Did nothing much in the morning. In the afternoon I motored out to Sakhrir with Prior and the
Secretary of the Shaikh of Kattar who came here about some tiresome people from Kattar who came over
here. It is a matter of very little importance but seems to have taken endless interviews. The Shaikh of
Kattar wants us to send them back and we dont want to, he is afraid of a lot more people coming here as
they prefer Bahrain to his country. Talked to the Shaikh about an affair which is causing much trouble just
now which is really a row between his wife, Ayesha, and his step mother, old Ayesha, Shaikh Isa's wife. The
two hate eachother like poison and both are trying to buy the same house which is being auctioned by the
court. The whole family have taken sides in it and every day I get messages from one side or the other about
it. The Shaikh is trying to keep entirely out of it. As usual he tells each lot of relations that he would like to
help them but of course it is the Adviser who is at the bottom of it. He also discussed the transfer of the oil
concession. He had the document for several days and had had it explained to him several times but still