Page 805 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Office. Went to see repairs in the Shaikhs bazaar & to the Customs & Police office. Fort in the morning. Played golf
in afternoon, quite cool.

Wednesday [9th August]

Fort. Foggy day & air mail delayed, the west bound one arrived in the afternoon & stayed the night. Had a special
court in the morning & finished the Gedhafs case, gave the men sentences from 3 to 1½ years hard labour and all to
be publicly flogged at the Thursday market tomorrow. Also dealt with estate of Abdel Rahman al Khalifah, a
complicated case with suspicion of forged will & forged documents. The Shaikh came in for the day going out again
to Sakhrir in the evening. Tennis in the evening & Bridge. I am gradually disposing of the 9 puppies as I only want to
keep three for the time being.

Thursday 10th August

I sent about 50 Police marching out to Suk al Khamis for the public beating of the thieves & I motored out later with
Dr Holmes. There were several hundred people there at the market. The Police formed a big square with fixed
bayonets & we beat the men in the centre, 20 each with a stout cane. The audience were very interested but very
stolid, the prisoners howled a great deal. Its a method of punishment that I believe in and sets a good example done
in public. Very busy day indeed. Went to the Agency to talk about oil & while there Holmes phoned & then came
round & we discussed things for a long time. He had a cable from his Company telling him to press for the year's
extension and to drop the matter of the additional area. Gastrell showed me a lot of telegrams from London about
oil. This latest development is a surprise but I am sure it is genuine as I read the cable myself. It means that we have
now no chance of getting the £20,000 which the Coy had offered previously. Very disappointing. It is very difficult to
know how much of what Holmes said is true & how much is bluff. Motored in afternoon. Air mail came in, other one
delayed. Pack & Ham came to dinner.

Friday 11th [August]

Down air mail arrived, a day late, with news about Mum. Cool day & a shamaal blowing. Didnt go out in morning.
Wrote letters. Tennis at Agency. Dined with Holmes who mentioned that the oil Coy are going to complain of British
interference in Bn about the oil Coy. This I know is just what the Brit Govt is afraid of but as they certainly have done
everything possible to obstruct the Company, because it is American, without any regard to the interest of Bahrain &
the Shaikh, I am not sorry that the Americans are going to complain through their Embassy in London. Holmes
seemed rather gloomy.