Page 722 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

720

1932

in rather an obvious way and three Hassawis who were working there. The oldest of them said he had only been there
a few days. We looked about the place and found a hut which had had a fire in it which might have been a place where
they make arak, then we found a trench lately filled in. With a little talking to and a box of the ears one of the
Hassawis admitted that they made arak in the hut and that two days ago Georgis had given orders that all the tins and
the apparatus was to be hidden at the bottom of a well outside the garden, we found one piece of it buried and then
went to the well and made the Hassawi and Juma dive into it and after some time they fished up a lot of tins and
enough of the apparatus to show that it was being made there. We loaded it onto a donkey and took it all back to
Manama and tied the men up and took one in the car and the others with the donkey. Then we went to the house of
Georgis but fund he had moved out of it but we found out where he was and arrested him as he returned to the house
from the sook. There was nothing in the house though it smelt very much of arak. Got back at about 1.30 after a very
good mornings work. Georgis was I am sure the head man of the "drink ring" in Manama and he was at the bottom of
several of the other places where drink was made. Went to tennis at the Agency in the afternoon. Had some quite
good games and then some Bridge. I am at last having better luck after a very long time of bad cards. Hot day, very
hot in the sun. I hear that this stirring up of the arak distilleries has made a great deal of talk in the bazaar and everyone
is very pleased that it has been done.

Saturday [14 May]

Court, we had a lot of criminal cases including two of the arak cases in which the accused were Bahrain subjects. We
gave one man a year and a fine or another six months if he did not pay the fine, which he wont, and the others eight
months each, that will learn them. Sulman was very interested in it all and very enthusiastic about it. I dont think he
goes in for it though many of his relations do. Drove out with the dogs in the afternoon and dined with the Dames,
rather a dull party, the D.Gs and Tiff and her young man. A horrid dinner but they provided plain soda from Bombay
water which was a relief. Played games after dinner and then I went down the town to the Matems and stayed till about
midnight. I got there just at the right time, listened for a little while at the Persian one and then went round to the other
ones and watched the dancing and processions in the streets. It really is wonderfully picturesque, much more so at
night than at day time. I would have liked to do some sketches but I had no paper or pencil with me. I saw most of the
clerks in my office with practically nothing on behaving like madmen, they looked very awkward when they saw me in
the audience. It was not very hot and nobody was using fans as I remember the year before last. Several of the
Matems are now lit with electric light and some had coloured lights outside the doors which was very effective. It
makes them cooler not having to use oil lamps.

Sunday 15th May

The office was closed in the morning for Muharram, today and tomorrow. I worked with Nairan at the accounts and
the Annual Report and got a lot done. Hot morning. Prior, Steele Ham and the doctor went out to the Shaikh's island
in the little sailing boats to stay the night there. I saw them going off in the distance. Went for a drive in the afternoon
and watched the Muharram show in the Sulmabad village, then to the Police Station on the way back. Went early to
bed as I was up late last night.