Page 284 - Records of Bahrain (2) (i)_Neat

Attack on Bahrain, 1869 275

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during tho aftornoon, thoir boats joinod us, and at midnight wo landed, ontcrod
tho fort, and rondorod it untonablo; tho boats woro on this occasion in charge
of Oommandor Moara, Her Majesty’s Ship Nympha.
20. On tho 29th wo landed hgain with tho boats in viow to scarohiug tlio
town promises of Shaik NauRcr and to completing our work at tho fort. X
rogrot to say that duriug this operation, Captain Dou/das received a severe
shock while exploding a mine, and from which ho is still suffering.
27. On tho morning of tho 30th wo loarnt tho following important items
of intolligcnco:—
1 atly, that Esau bin Alec, whom we had invited ovcrv from Guttur,
had been scon cn-routc at Zebairah, and that 30 craft had been
obsorved making for that point;
2ndly, that Nauscr bin Mobarck bad left tho Ituffah fort and taken
up a position at Jow, wlioro lio had seized somo craft, in yiow
to intorcopting Esau at soa, or to making good his own retreat in
caso of need;
3rdly, that tho head Chief Mahomod bin Abdullah was still on
tho island of Moharrag proparod to bo joined by Nauscr bin
Mobarok, or to cseapo himself by sea if necessary.
28. It now became advisablo forthwith to mako a movo whioh should
bo calculated to moot all tho abovo contingencies. Accordingly wo took both
tho gunboats with all tho ship’s boats in tow and marines and small arms-men
on board, and steamed round from the inner anchorage of Monamch to'a point
to the southward of Moharrag Island.
29. We thus placed oursolvcs in a position—
Is/, to tlirontcn Nausor bin Mobarok at Jow ;
2nd, to aid Esau with his fleot on its passago from Zobairah to
Moharrag Island; and
3rd, to cut off sea communication between Nauscr bin Mobarok
at Jow and Mahomed biu Abdullah at Moluirrag.
30. ’fhc demonstration proved successful, and Nauscr bin Mobarok, after
committing somo further cruelties, ombarkod with his Bedouins and fled to tho
Wahabco Coast.
31. On tho fpllowing morning, 1st Decembor, wo again weighed anchor,
and still accompanied by all the boats pushed up tho Moharrag creek to a point
a little way above tho Moharrag Fort, which we thus conimaudcd at a distance
of 700 yards, wliile wo commanded Mahomod' bin. Abdullah’s fortifiod house
and' tlio town of Moharrag generally witliin a distanpo of 1,000 yards. Wo
woro' furthor in a position for laying out tho lioats and so provonting Mahomed
bin Abdullah escaping by soa.
82. Wo thon propared to land on tho spit alroady dedoribod, and. isolato
tho Moharrag Fort, which wo proposod to occupy and aftorwards to mako over
to Esau-bin Aloo as a point of appui.
33. While proparing this- oporatibn, tho' pirato Chief Mdhomed bin
Abdullah camo onboard in hope of arranging mattors, and almost simultaneously
Esau's flbot liovo in sight*
3df. Wo thon informed tho pirato Ohiof of tho gonoral situation, and
callod on him to oloot botwoon surrendering at discretion or proceeding at
onco on shoro to tako his owivcourso.il lio surrondorod, and his nophow Aloo
bin Nausor and his seorotary named Jassim dcolnrod-to surrender also, since
thoy woro oommittod to their Chiof’s cause. Thoy sont on shoro for thoir swords
and made thorn ovor to mo.
35. Mcantimo tho landiug took placo (tho marines and small arms-mCn
umlor Commander Moara), and tho garrison of tho fort of Moharrag surrendered.

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