Page 87 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1926

In the Court all day on the Haj Sulman (Chief of Police) case. Heard the evidence for the prosecution, not very
interesting to me as they all said exactly what they told me before. Didnt get away till 5.30 in the evening. Horner is
very slow over it all & puts down every word that is said. Captain Parry came to lunch, quite a nice fellow really.
Much conversation about the laziness & incapability of Prideaux at Bushire. Started again after lunch & went on all
the afternoon. After tea M & I went out a drive up the Budayia road & back by Suk al Khamis. Had a look at the
house when we came back. Violent interchange of telegrams. The Navy are getting bored of waiting here. Daly wants
to remove the whole Levy Corps (Baluchis) & get Indians & Prideaux, at Bushire, thinks we are all making too much
fuss over it all. I really think Daly is determined to retire after his 5 years here with a big flare up! He is himself much
better now, but still gets a lot of fever & does too much. Cool windy day, the Shamaal is blowing again, thank
goodness. I went to office in morning & the Sheikh came in. Later he came to call on Daly at the Agency. The
Courtyard is positively littered with prisoners in chains & bristling with armed guards & bluejackets. A good deal of it
is really enormously comic!!

Tuesday 17th [August]

In the Court the whole morning from 7 am till about 2 oclock, & 3 till 6. This case is far the most interesting as both
men plead not guilty. I as prosecutor was able very successfully to discredit all the evidence which they produced. It
was quite sensational towards the end. One of the witnesses fainted in Court, a punishment for perjury I should think.
It will be finished tomorrow.

Daly is busy packing, he wants to go in about a month if his relief can arrive in time. He is still rather shaky. M a little
better but still a bit of a temperature. After tea went down to the bazaar with Khan Bahadur, the "sleuth" from Bushire,