Page 570 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Meeting at the Shia school before breakfast about the new Council. I meant to get them to elect the
members but after I had talked for some time I found that they were all absolutely against having a mixed
Sunni and Shia committee. They really are very annoying at times, the previous committee had agreed to
this and it seemed to be a popular move. Argued and talked with them for some time but with no success
and finally left, feeling very annoyed. Sent the School Inspector over to Muharrak to tell Shaikh Abdulla
about the failure of the meeting. The school affairs here seem to be more troublesome than any other things
and take up more time. Office. Had a long talk with Jordan about the Electric Budget, it is rather difficult as
he is so very unreliable about figures. Very busy morning. Shaikh Mohamed called to talk about the house
which he wants me to persuade Holmes to buy or to buy for the Government. Holmes is negociating for it
but Mohamed came to me and thought he could get the Government to bid against Holmes and perhaps put
up the price. We want to borrow it for a Quarantine as there is plague in Basra and all down boats are in
Quarantine. Finished my annual report, it is about 60 pages of typed foolscap. Motored on the Rafaa road
with Mohamed Khalil in the evening and then dined at the Hakkens, rather a tiresome evening. Holmes was
the only leavening among the Missionaries. Dr Dame was there and talked quite interestingly, he has just
come back from Dohar. He was saying that the Shaikh had a bunch of about a dozen young slaves, male and
female, given to him by Ibn Saoud. One of the treaties which Ibn Saoud signed with us states that he will do
his best to prevent slavery, yet he does nothing of the sort and gives his people presents of slaves. Dame
also told how he was in the house of one of the Shaikhs sons and asked if the small child of the son would like
to be vaccinated as there is always a lot of small pox there. The father said no as it was not well, then Dame
asked if he could do some of the slave children, there were lots of slaves in the house, but the Shaikh said
certainly not as if they were vaccinated his child might catch the infection. Dame pointed out that it was
unlikely but the man said that it didnt matter if they all died as they were cheap and he could get plenty
more. There is no doubt about the condition of slavery over there.

Friday [4 July]

Usual Friday programme. Shaikh Abdulla came in the afternoon before we went over to the Agency to
discuss school affairs. We are now thinking of calling him Minister of Education and having him at the head
of two separate Councils each to have its own President but he to be boss of the whole show. He approves
of the idea.

Saturday 5th July

The Shaikh came in while we were at breakfast. I had gone up to see him at the Palace but he had a full
Meglis and said if I went back he would follow me at once, so disturbing to ones breakfast, it is one of the
disadvantages of having him in Manama. One of the disadvantages is that one never knows when he and his
retinue will arrive at the house or when he will send for one. He interviewed some people who came on
behalf of a petition about a recent proclamation of ours about land tenure. Afterwards we had a court, very
much delayed as usual when he comes down. The Shaikh was very pleased with James and had a great game
with him, he saw the deputation on our veranda upstairs and all the time instead of attending to them he
was making faces at James who was just inside the room. He is really fond of children. Shaikh Sulman is