Page 321 - Records of Bahrain (2) (i)_Neat

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312 Records of Bahrain

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in terms equally friendly, but which Mahomed bin
Khalifa knew to be equally deceptive.
- ; *
11. Not long afterwards Mahomed bin Klmlifn
sensible of the dangers which were
a. ». 1847.
perpetually threatening him from
without, and frightened by a letter from the Mootasallim
of Bussorah, inviting him to acknowledge his dependence
on the Ottoman Porte, and “ to furnish lists of his vessels,
orews, &c., in order that the requisite registers might be
prepared and forwarded,” expressed his wish that Bahrein
should bo taken under British protection. The Resident
urged that his request should bo complied with, but
the Government, both in this country and at Home,
decided against the measure. In intimating this deter­
mination, however, the Sheikh was assured of the con­
tinuance of the good will and friendship of the British
Government. He was relieved from one pressing danger
by the death of the Ex-Sheikh,
a. D. 1818.
Abdoolla, which occurred whilst
he was on his way to Zanzibar to solicit help from his old
enemy, the Imam of Muscat. But from the Wahabeo
side hostilities were threatened which made him fear
greatly for the independence of his position. Ameer
Pysul, who had returned from exile in 1843, advanced
within two stages of Biddah, sure of' the active co­
operation of the inhabitants of the Guttur Coast and
of the sons of the Ex-Sheikh. The ofTcr of Maho­
med bin Khalifa to pay a small yearly tribute had been
disdained, and the consequences seemed likely to be
most serious, when all at once, with that sudden change
of purpose so characteristic of Arab Chiefs, the Walia-
bco Ameer accepted the good ofliccs of a neighbouring
Chief, and concluded a peace with Bahrein in July 1S51.

12. The • feud which Sheikh Abdoolla had so
vigorously maintained with Mahomed bin Khalifa "a3
kept up by bis son Mahomed bin Abdoolla, one of the
prisoners now confined in the Port of Asscorghur for 1,3
share in the recent depredations at Bahrein. h>s,orl
of tho period which intervened up to the lime that la-
latter was declared a public encm)
a. D. 1860. essential
resembles in every
were
history of preceding days. Piratical outrages