Page 24 - PERSIAN 3 1883_1890

18 administration report op the Persian golf political

Shaikh Saleh wrote a pacific letter to Ilis Highness to the effect that Scyyid Abdul Azeoz and
himself, lmving summoned the Semail tribes, had mado peace between them, and tliat, thoir
object being thus accomplished, they were returning home. A similar letter from Scyyid Abdul
Azecz was also received. But the rebel leaders wero.dissimulating nod their pretended friendly
action in tranquillizing the tribes and withdrawing their men masked an ulterior design.
Their apparent abandonment of the enterprise, as later events showed, was intended to throw
His Highness off his guard and to mature their plans while watching for a more favourable
opportunity,
On the 8th September Scyyid Feysal was despatched to Nakh to settle disputes among
tho Shaikhs at that town, and about the same time Seyyid Nasir-bin-Molmmmcd, Wall of
Mattrah, was employed to adjust misunderstandings among the Beni Battash in the Wady
Tnccn. Both of these missions were successful.- So far from the discord in the Semail valley
having been removed by Shaikh Saleh it had, in fact, become greatly embittered and strength­
ened, as he had hoped and intended it should, and the Sultdn, being aware of the danger of the
continuance of this quarrel, now sent for the Shaikhs of the Nidabiycen and Rchbiyccn to
Muscat, and used strenuous efforts to restore harmony between them and the Beni Jabir.
Seyyid Feysal was subsequently sent to Semail to use his influence with the malcontents there,
but his effort*, like those of Iiis Highness Seyyid Toorkee, met with an entire want of success.
The teaching and machinations of Shaikh Saleh had been too effective; the Nidabiyecn Shaikhs
refused to listen to any terms and remained irreconcileable.
The rebel leaders meanwhile were not idle. On the approach of Soyyid Fcy6al to Semail,
Shaikh Saleh, with Abdul Azeez, entered the upper end of tho valley to counteract his paciflo
schemes and to prevent any combination of the GhafRree tribes in that quarter. Shaikh Saleh
was also indefatigable at this time in writing letters to the Ilinawi tribes, inciting them to rise,
and Shaikh Jumah-el-Meskeri, who hnd joined Sltaikh Saleh out of a personal grudge he had
against His Highness, wrote to the Shaikhs of the Ghaflirce tribes of Jaalan and 'Oman,
warning them not to join Seyyid Toorkee in his defence ognint the coalition. Shaikh Jumah's
letters had in many cases an opposite effect to what he intended, as Arabs are not fond of being
dictated to, and several of the Ghafliree Shaikhs subsequently supported His Highness out of
pore opposition to Shaikh Jumah.
Rumours of the rising reached Muscat, and some preparations were made to repel attack.
But the rebels' intentions were not known for certain until the 19th October, when the Political
Agent received a letter from Seyyid Abdul Azecz, announcing his hostile intentions and desir­
ing that the British subjects might be removed from danger. On the morning of the 21st’the
vanguard of the rebel force, estimated at 1,800 men, arrived at Rui, and the main body came
up during the day. It was fully expected by the garrison that the enemy would rest that
night in camp and attack Mattrah the next day. But Seyyid Abdul Azccz had devised a more
skilful plan, and, while he was supposed to be encamped at Rui he was marching through the
hills that encircle Muscat to take the town by surprise; The assault was delivered soon after mid­
night by the rebels, who were dressed in black to escape observation, and, though the garrison
were taken completely by surprise, they received the assailants with such a heavy and sustained
fire that the latter were repulsed and driven from the walls with great loss. Seyyid Abdul
Azeez behaved with much gallantry, penODally leading his men up to the assault, but he was
compelled to withdraw when he found the surprise had failed. The next day it was expected
that an attack on Mattrah would be made, and, os His Highness had formally requested
armed assistance, H. M. S. Philomel proceeded thither and threw i couple of shells over
the rebels' position, deterring them from advance. For three days after the rebels main­
tained their position outside the town, threatening attack, and H. M. S. Philomel con­
tinued an irregular fire at intervals; but, in the meantime, the friendly tribes summoned by
His Highness to his assistance began to pour into Muscat and soon outnumbered those on the
offensive. Seyyid Abdul Azeez and Shaikh Saleh, who had made certain of victory, then retired
with their discomfited force, which had lost in the attack about 100 killed and 160 woundedj
to Sharkiyeh. His Highness now determined to make use of the large body of Arabs who had
responded to his call for assistance, of whom there were now about 8,000 in the town, and des­
patched an expedition into the Semail valley to chastise the two disloyal Ohafflree tribes who
had been the primary cause of these disorders and who had assisted Shaikh Saloh in his inva­
sion. The force was under the command of Seyyid Feysal-lin-Toorkee, and soon brought
the Nidabiyeen and Ilehbiyeen to submission, after punishing them by cutting down part of
their date groves. Seyyid Fey sal, under instructions from the 8ultin, thou marched to tho
Wady Ma'Awal, where he reduood that tribe, which had long been disaffected, to sub^