Page 1486 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1483

1942

Bathed Senian.

Dined with Kennedy, Howes & the other APA there, the former seemed sulky.

Friday 25th July

Spent the day at Sebiliat, bathed, read & bathed again in the sea & in the tank, not unpleasantly hot,
watched from the windows of the garden house, a pair of mongooses eating dates from the great bunches
on the trees outside.

On the way went down to Amir Said mosque - tomb. It turned out to be a day on which the Shia women all
over Bahrain visit their mosques, all taking some food from each house which they share together so when I

arrived I found a great concourse of women & lots of little girls dressed in their best very gaily & very
excited carrying dishes & baskets of food into the building. The old man who looks after it however came
from his house & said there would be no harm in my going in - all among the women, so I did so & was
interested, its an unusual style of building, three long narrow rooms divided from each other by walls each
with a very small low door in it & in the corner of the inner room a locked door, which he opened, leading
to a little domed room containing the tomb, green banners leant against the walls & some highly coloured
Persian pictures & a few mats & a heavy scent of insense, nitches in the walls for candles. The old Guardian
of the mosque insisted that his father had built it, he probably repaired it as it is said to be of great age.

A pleasant restful day.

Saturday 26th July

Fort, Sh Kh appeared.

Office, busy morning, one of the naval members of the mission came in asking a lot of information, quite a
pleasant person. Sh Sulman, went over my note on the Sh Jasim Appeal case. He seemed to agree.