Page 317 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

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Fart VII—Chap. LXX. 295
farm, and othors that ho held it in custody for tho Imaum. It is probable that it was worth
so little in itsolf to any ono that whatever wero tho grounds of its first acquisition by tho i
Bushiro Arabs tho Imam never thought proper to claim his interest in it again. It may be
incumbent on Shekh Nnssir to prove however how his titlo originated.
9. Tho naturo of Shekh Nasair’s titlo to Karrack is you will obsorve from what I havo
stated oithor that of a sovereign, or that of a fief hold either from tho Iuiaum of Muscat or
from the King of Persia.
10. I was informed by tho Hajeo Yncoob whon at Karrack that Shokh Naesir was bound to
maintain a certain number of Men as a garrison for the island in consideration of paying whom
tho King gave him tho rovenuos or pilot dues, exigible by tho pilots iu addition to their own
hire. But I havo not been able to discover horo whether Hajeo Yaconb's information is founded
on any written provision in the Lease for Bushiro, nor indeed can I find that any thing is said
al>out Karrack in any way in any Persian document as a dependency of the Persian Crown.
On theso points I beg to onoloso co:y of tho 3rd paragraph of my letter to the Secretary
to tho Government of Bombay, So. 10 of 1842, dated tho 1st February 1842.
11. If Shekh Nawir’s titlo to Karrack is that of a Sovoreigu ho may bo entitled t°
indorauifieation for dispossession according to the pleasure of him who dispossesses him for a8
in other casos to take a sovereign's rights is merely to havo a longer sword.
12. If Shekh Nassir's title is thU of a horeditary fief from the Imaum of Muscat ho
merits on dispossession of it by the King of Persia an annual indemnification equal to the
amount of his annual gain on the grounds of its hereditary nature. But if the King of
Persia is Lord Paramount of Karrack, and for tho good of his Kingdom dispossesses Shekh
Nassir of his horeditary fief under tho Persian Crown in order to deprive him as a rebel
of a stronghold; or in order to bo able to maintain the good faith of his Royal pledges
to tho people of Karrack and prevent the possibility of their being oppressed, both of which
eventualities judging from his past conduct may bo considered certain, if circumstances i
called for or allowed of them to bo committed by Shekh Nassir, 1 doubt whether he should
be considered eutitled to have indemnification, for had his conduct been characterized by
fchat of Royalty there would havo been no necessity to deprive him of his fief.
13. Should it bo deemed necessary however to indemnify Shekh Nassir on account of his
receipts and expenditure for a series of years would be the basis probably of the adjustment.
The manner also in which Shekh Nassir kept a garrisou for the King and the fortress in repair
and filled it with stores might bo ono branch of enquiry.
14. But Persian rules for tho attachment of property and persons are so different from
those of more civilized countries that to speculate on what a Persian Government may or
should do under particular circumstances is perhaps a waste of time.

I have the honour, etc.,
H.D. ROBERTSON,
Officiating Resident, Persian Gulf.
RESIDENCY IN THE PERSIAN GULF,
! Bcbhibb, 4th June 1S43. ]

P.S.—I may here mention that on the present Shekh Nassir’s flight from Bushire, 1832,
on the murder of his father, he sought refuge in Karrack, and wrote to the Joasmees to come
to his aid in attacking bushire, the plunder of the town being offered to them as a reward.
The fear of an intended expedition against him by tho Prince of Fars, and want of unanimity
in the members of his tribo, induced him to abscond from Karrack, and go to Koweic, just a
day or two before tho Joasmee fl«-et of fifty boats arrived at Karrack. These allies of Shekh
Nassir were prevented from attacking and sacking Bushire, only by the dooision of the Resident
and the presence of British ships of war. The Resident considered Shekh Nassir to have been
I the aggrieved party on this occasion, but lie considered it, nevertheless, his duty to save Bushire
from ruin if he could.
H. D. ROBERTSON,
Officiating Resident, Persian Gulf.