Page 963 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1935

tempers. They said that our letter was "Lowa" and that Shaikh Hamed owed his throne to the support given
by the Baharna when Isa abdicated. After lunch I went up to see the Shaikh at his house near the Fort. He
was very worried and nervous at the possibility of trouble in the town. I told him all they had said,
apparently they saw him as he left the court & said they were coming out to see him at Sakhir next day - that
he did not want. We discussed matters for some time & he sent a messenger saying that he would let them
know when it suited him to give them an interview. Abdulla bin Jabr came in & talked about things - very
sensibly. Eventually we decided that the Shaikh should see the leaders but in the court with Mohammed,
Abdulla, Sulman & myself present. Then he drove out to Sakhir. I went across to the Agency & had a talk
with Loch, Worth was there, before tennis. Rainy day & only Steele came to tennis but quite a lot of people
came later for Bridge. A very full day & quite exciting. The Shaikh had ideas of sending out a big guard of
police to Sakhir & arming all his servants - all unnecessary & most unwise - I dissuaded him. The Baharna
have now got another matter which they are raising, about the question of employment, they complain that so
few of them are employed in govt jobs or at the oil fields.