Page 46 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

24 Part I.

by ft fanatic Wahabi, wheroupon Saud-bia-Abdul Aziz approached, and tho
expedition dispersed.

(vii) Threatened attack on Basrah from tho Sultan of Maskat, 1798.
88. In tho wars which Karim Khan carried on against tho Imam of
Ha skat, tho Basrah Government seems to liavo lout its assistance to tho latter.
This served as ono of the oxcusos for tho attack which Karim Khan mado
on Basrah in 177/5. Tho Imam of Maskat thereupon despatched a portion of
his fleet to a Basrah, which having dispersed tho Persian of gallivats undor
Sheikh Nasir, beoamo masters of the river. The town, however, having ulti­
mately surrendered to tho Persian army, tho Imam’s fleet had to return to
Haskat.
89. In 1798 besides the Wahabi incursions, Turkish Arabia was threatened
by an attack by the Sultan of Maskat, wo shall quote boro tho interesting
account of tho Resident of Basrah of the affair and of the action taken by tho
Residency when asked to intervene :—
“ The Pacha of Baghdad has sinco tho date of my last address mado certain political
requests to me. Early in tho month of July, a report prevailed here that Syud Sultan
meditated an nttack on Bussorah on account nf certain ancient pecuniary claims of his deceased
father, on tho Pnchalic of Baghdad, resisted by Soliman Pacha, and that in order to enablo
himself effectually to execute his hostilo intentions, he was engaged in negotiating a
peaco with his formidable enemy, Sccgyin Ebu Rasohed il Mutter, the Jooasemc Sheik, and
towards the closo of the month of July, this report was confirmed by the receipt here of letters
from Maskat, communicating the designs of Syud Sultan in greater detail. On the 20th
August tho Pacha invited Mr. Hoinaud at Baghdad to a confidential conversation in which
His Excellency represented to that gentleman, that his servant, the Mussaleern of Bussorah,
had communicated to him intelligence respecting certain designs entertained by Syud Sultan
of Maskat, which considering tho war in which lie was engaged against the Wahabi Shailc
and tho recent inimical proceedings of the French against the Ottoman Empire in the invasion
of Egypt he folt to be rather of a puzzling and unpleasant nature, and desired in the most
forcible and pressing maunor that ho (Mr. Reinaud) would immediately communicate to me
his (the Pacha's) request, that as a still further and limilly convincing proof of my friendship
for him, and of my personal regard for his welfare and his interest, I would, without delay,
write letters to Syud Sultan and to Shailc Suggur, strongly expressive of ray hope that they
would, on mature consideration, give up the idea of operating hostilely against a friendly
power, peculiarly cotmecled by exiting circumstances with the British Empire. Mr. Reinaud,
in a qualified reply to the application of tho Pacha, in which he carefully and prudently
avoided committing either himself or the Residency, consented expeditiously to communioate to
me His Excellency's important wishes. I received oarly in September Mr. Reinaud's private
letter, and a letter from the Pacha on the subje:t, and the Pacha in his communication, wluoh
was a very friendly and satisfactory ono, advised me of his having ordered the Mussaleern to
co-operate with mo towards tho accomplishment of his desires. On tho receipt of those
advices, I instantly communicated with the Mussaleern, and expressed to him my intention
to despatch two of the factory Janissaries without delay to Maskat and ltazilkhima, charged
with letters from me to Syud Sultan, and Shailc Suggur couched in terms even exceeding the
ardent wishes of tho Pacha. Tho Mussaleern in lvply informed me that the active in­
clination, which I manifested to promoto the interests of tho Pacha's Government, could not
fail very highly to gratify His Excelloncy, but that as he had himself written to Syud Sultan
and Shaik Suggur on the interesting subject, and early oxpectcd their replies to his letters,
he ventured to suggest tho eligibility of my postponing my intended proof of friendship
towards this country, until it might be possiblo further to ascertain tho real intentions of
Syud Sultan regarding Bussorah, I willingly closed with the proposal of the Mussaleern. I
despatched a chocadar belonging to Government to Baghdad, charged with a propor letter for
the Pacha, addressed to the care of Mr. Reinaud, to whom I gave instructions respecting its
delivery to llis ExccUenoy. Mr. Reinaud, presented the letter to tho Pacha in person, and on
giving it into his hands, ho, in obedience to my orders, assured llis Excellency that I should
always have the highest pleasure in facilitating the accomplishment of his general wishes, and
that on the particular occasion in question, I was ready to adopt any means for their attainment,
consistent with good policy, and with the ancient amity fortunately subsisting between our res­
pective nations. The Pacha, after having read iny letter with pleasure and attention, most
Kindly observed in his reply to Mr. Reinaud's communication that “Mr. Manesty has now
completed his friendship towards mo. He is my real, sincere, and faithful friend, and I will
always consider his wishes as my own." The Pacha then requested Mr. Reinaud to recoivo
another letter for mo, which would be sent to him on the following day for speedy transmis­
sion, and charged him to be most particular in his communications to me respeoting tho
satisfaction which ho (the Pacha) felt in my friendly conduct towards him.
“The Pacha’s second letter, which was a peculiarly kind and pleasing one, contained a
request that I would preserve in my friendly disposition towards him, and take such measures