Page 209 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

Reaction to the reforms, 1923 197

hardly recognized the Eastern end of Manama near the Agency.
So much for Manama Town. Fired by its example a sort
of Municipality has been started at Moharraq. It has done
a little towards cleaning up and tidying up the place but
not much, not having the driving force of the Political
Agent to urge It on and back It up. As the Government of
India are aware the Island of Moharraq is inhabited almost
exclusively by the Khalifah family and Arabs, and Is left
severely alone by Political Agents as practically none of
the Foreign community reside there.
Outside Manama Town motor roads have been made by the
Political Agent with the approval of the Shaikh. Sometime
ago after a good deal of pressure by the political Agent
and the Municipality and leading men of Manana, Shaikh
Isa agreed to allow roads to be made and headed a
public subscription to raise funds for this purpose. As a
result quite good motor roads have been made to Budaiya on
North-West corner of the Island, to Ali where the tombs are
some 6 or 7 miles out, to Sakhalr near Jebel Dukhan in the
centre of the Island about 10 miles out from Manama, not to
i
mention similar roads on the outskirts of the Town.
During my recent visit to Manama Shaikh Hamad asked our
party out to lunch at Sakhair, where he has a house, and
we went a little way beyond about 20 miles altogether.
When I was at Bahrain I well remember going to Ain ul Ghar
with Admiral Slades Oil Committee: in those dayesjit was
quite an undertaking being two days (or to be more

exact 1| days) march on donkeys; now it is quite easy to
go out and back in a day by car. The leading Shaikhs

all have houses in the neighbourhood of Sakhair and Jebel
Dukhan at which they stay in the Spring and Summer and
vi6it for shooting. They can now go out for shooting
parties by car and Shaikh Isa (occasionally) and Shaikh
Homed always travel about In an 8 cylinder "King".
In