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and in spite of my suggestion to Shaikh Hamad that he
should not give a definite reply, he announced that the

proclamation would be cancelled at once, The Shias
however were not content with this, they demanded that
the order cancelling the proclamation should be signed
by not only Shaikh Hamad but myself and also the Poli­

tical Agent. Shaikh Hamad did not agree to this. The
meeting then broke up and the Shias returned to one of

the matesms in Manama where a great crowd was awaiting
them*
Proclamation cancelled.

Before noon on the same day the proclamation was
removed. But the bazaars did not reopen, They re-
mained closed the whole day, this time as a protest ag­

ainst the Agency because it had not also cancelled its
proclamation on the subject.
On the next morning a large crowd collected at the

Government office, led by Yusuf Pakroo and Abdu Ali
Alewat. Kany of the men carried knives and revolvers
apparently with the idea of rescuing their leaders if

they were arrested, I interviewed Yousuf Pakroo, who
protested that he was not responsible for the crowd,
and gave him two copies of the new proclamation, A

large deputation then visited Shaikh Hamad at Sakhir,
but he refused to see them, however he sealed the copies
of the new Alaan.

On the following day the Agency issued an amended
notice and the bazaars opened again.
This is the first time that a deliberately organised

strike has taken place in Bahrain, but I fear that it
will hot be the last time as it was such a complete sue-

cess.
,