Page 1319 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1317
1317
1940

A dozen people to dinner - very flat as all had been late the night before. Did some

charades after dinner, the only means of keeping them awake.

Wednesday 14th February

Went to cinema, very good news reel, twice as long as usual.

Thursday 16th February

A day of quite historical importance in the history of Bahrain. HH signed a document

appointing Sulman as his heir apparent and successor. It was done in our house. Narayan,
yesterday, copied out most of the old document made by Sh Isa in which he appointed
Hamed. The witnesses to the document were Sh Rashid, Sh Abdul Hussein Helli and Sh

Abdul Latif bin Saad, Hugh, myself, Abdulla bin Jahr & Narayan were present. The document
was signed in the veranda room. It is a secret document & the name is not to be divulged,

HH insisted on this as he foresaw trouble for himself if the public new of it. The Kadir
arrived first & were put in my office, then HH arrived, much too early. He came up to the

drawing room & sat chatting for some time. He looked rather gloomy & not too well but he
looked better after talking, about news from Dubai, War news and then he saw a picture of

himself which he gazed at admiringly for some time, discussing when it had been taken. DBJ
read the document over to him again, he paid careful attention, & then we explained how &

where he should write & sign it - rather like a game of consequences - folding over the
paper. HH & Sh Rashid arrived & we all went into the big room where I had my camera set -

and table and ink. The three witnesses looked intently curious, Sh R asked what it was all
about. HH sat down and wrote, very laboriously, & then DBJ and I folded over the paper
hiding the contents. Sh AL signed & then Sh R & Sh AH, HH sat at the table all the time and

very carefully examined the document after each had signed, holding it up. When signed Sh