Page 188 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

186

1927

Went to Sitra island with Parke in the afternoon. Took Omar & a Fedawi. Motored across to Essex point & there met by a
donkey which carried M onto a boat, P & I waded out. Sailed across to the island, had a look at some of the gardens & then
went to the Spring, which is a fine big one, like the Siwa ones, with a lot of big fish in it like carp or roach. Had tea in a date
garden down near the sea & then sailed back again. Its a pretty place, the date palms come right down to the shore. Called
at the Fort on the way back. Dr & Mrs Holmes came to dinner also Armstrong. Mrs H is very deaf indeed & very self
conscious about it. Altogether a rather boring party. The lens of my camera has come back but even now it doesnt seem to
act - such a great nuisance, most disappointing.

Thursday [31 March]

Court, Sh Mohamed came in again. The Shaikh had told Sulman, his son, who sits on the Court with me, to find out for
certain on which day the Eid comes. Sulman wrote to the Kadi who answered by 2 pages saying according to Syria the moon
would show on so & so date, according to another country in another date -! He never gives one a direct answer.
Apparently two years ago there was a bad mix up. The Kadi announced that the end of the fast would be on a certain day,
then he altered it to a day earlier. The Shaikh & his family were out at Sakhrir & heard nothing of the change. On the