Page 14 - Records of Bahrain (2) (i)_Neat

5
The war with Qatar, 1868

No. 241, dated Oth Ootober 1808.
No. 276.
From—C. Gonne, Eaq,, Socrelnry to Government of Uombay.
To—W, 8, Sitoh-Kajir, Eiq., Sooy. to Govt, of Indio, Foreign Dept., with G, G.
With rcfcrcnco to my letter No. 14:0, of the 26th July last, I am
directed to forward copy of a despatch, and of its several accompaniments,
from the licsidcnt in the Persian Gulf, reporting the proceedings adopted
by him, with the co-operation of the Commander of Her Majesty’s Ship
Vigilant, for the punishment of the Chiefs of Bahrein, Aboothabcc, and
Guttar, and the arrangements concluded by him for ensuring the future
good conduct of those Chiefs.

NO. 276. No. Ill, dutod 26th September 1808.
From—Li*ut.-Col. Lewis Felly, H. U. M/a Political Rciidont, Fersiun Gulf.
To—-C. Gonne, Esq., Secretary to Government of Bombay,
Ltd letter, No. 86, Oth J0I7 I have the honor to report further concerning
)W«. tho ollairs of Bahrein, Guitar, and Aboothabcc.
2. Your telegram of tho 28th of July informed mo that Her Majesty’s
Ship Vigilant bad sailed for the Gulf, carrying my instructions for tho puuiah-
meut of tho above-named Chiefs.
3. I was for tho moment engaged at Shiraz in adjusting the Bunder
Abbass leaso, and as it seemed advisulilo to avoid any unnecessary exposuro
of Vigilant'a crew to tho intenso heat of the Persian Gulf, I telegraphed to
Captain A. 0. Brown, Commanding that vessel, suggesting to him to postpone
the dalo of his arrival until tho 1st of September.
d. Meantime I assembled tho Gunboats Clyde and Hugh Hose, together
with tho Residency Steamer Sind, at Bushire, causing these vessels to bo
fittodup with coal, and further arranging with Ilcr Majesty’s Vice-Consul at
Busroh for a supply of 200 tous of coal.
5. Tho letter which tho Right Ilon'blo tho Governor in Council had
somo months ago instructed mo to address to tho Chiefs of Bahrein and
Abooth&bec had already made those Chiefs aware that Government would no
longer pass unnoticed their flagrant brouchcs of the peace at sea. Both
Chiefs hud deputed Agents to me at Bushire, but neither Agent had any defl-
nito instructions to comply with tho demands of Government. They admitted
that tho terras of tho truco hud been repeatedly violated, but they trusted
that these irregularities would bo passed over. At length, after moro than a
month’s delay, I informed the Aboolhubco Agent that siucc he was unautho­
rized to afford reparation, ho should return to his master, and that X would
shortly follow with Her Majesty’s ships. The Aboothabcc Agent embarked
forthwith, and tho Bahrein Ageut also left.
0. During, tho middle of August, it was commonly reported that the
Bahrein Chief intended to oppose us. Much excitement, too, was caused
at tho southward of tho Gulf by tho disputo between Persia aud Muscat con-
cerning the Bunder Abbass torritory, and a considerable number of Arab
tribes and boats had assembled, ready to surpriso and plunder- tho Persian
ports. Meantime, tho fact of my channel of communication with tho Persian
authorities being through Persian foroign Agents on tho littoral, together
jvith tho foot that there happened to bo no Persian foroign Agent on that
littoral, conduced, with some other little inconveniences, to render mo anxious
*or tho Porsian side of tho Gulf. X kucw of courso that, if opposed, we should
certainly vanquish tho Arabs, but X was by no means so cortaiu that the latter
ttight not ovoid us, and mnko a dcscont on the Persian-coast. Indeed, tho
port of Lingah and tho towns on tho island of Kishm had, I bolioYe, been