Page 29 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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tiou was therefore dispatched to the Persian
Gulf, under Sir W. Grant Keir, in 1819 for the
purpose of completely crushing them.
In 1820 the first general Treaty was signed
between the British Governmeut und the Chiefs,
and of these or similar Agreements there have been
in all no fewer than eight. In 1839 the Maritime
Truce was concluded, and was renewed from
time to time until the year 1853, whon it was
succeeded by the Treaty of Perpetual Peace
which has lasted ever since. Under that Treaty
it was provided that there should be a complete
cessation of hostilities at sea between the sub­
jects of the signatory Chiefs, and a “perfect
maritime truce for evermore;" that, in the evont
of aggressions by any one by sea, the injured
parties should not retaliate, hut should refer the
matter to the British Resident in the Persian
Gulf, and that tho British Government should
watch bver the peace of the Gulf and insure at
all times the observance of the Treaty.
In 1892 a further Treaty was concluded separ­
ately with each of the Trucial Chiefs by which
they agreed (1) not to enter into any Agree­
ment or correspondence with any Power otner
than the British Government; (2) not to consent
to the residence in their territories of the Agent
of any other Government without the assent of
the British Government; (3) not to cede, sell,
mortgage, or otherwise give for occupation any
part of their territory save to the British Govern­
ment.
l i,lt Colonel So long ago as 1823 Captain McLeod, reporting
IVIIy’H KVport of
April I*Ga. on the Jowasnii tribe (being then at Ras-el-
Khaimah and Shargah), described them as
“ possessing no articles of export, since their
. pearls are generally purchased by merclmnts on
!
the spot, and the produco of their country is
not even sufiiciont for their maintenance. Their
only employment is fishing, diving for pearls, and
importing dates, grain, and other necessaries of
life which they purchase with the price of those
pearls. They are very poor, and perhaps can
never find much employment in commerce unless
in carrying for others, although it is said they at
one time possessed a very exteusive trade.”
Colonel (now General Sir Arnold) Kcmhall
writing in 1815 remarked:—
“ Upon the success of the pearl-fishing and the
profits of the carrying trade which it brings into