Page 83 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter III. 61
tinl Chiefs, his dependents, to the proposed change in tho form of Government; charging his
brother, Shoikh A at sir, with stirring up tho tubes against him, with organizing tlio pretended
at t ick upon ono of tho Turkish stcamois, and with seizing tlic Government grain destined for
Jeddah ; and, linaUy, declaring tho personal danger to which himself and Suleiman Beg are
exposed, and his helplessness to vindicate his authority unleGs aided by troops from Baghdad.
I h-arn from Nannie Pasha, whom I visited this morning, and whom I found fully
informed of Sheikh Muncom’a proceedings, that Ilis Excellency, affecting to acknowledge tho
diUicnlti'is of his (Shoikh Mnnsour’s) position, had recalled both this Chief and Suleiman Be;/
to Baghdad, and hud di*p itched a steamer to summon Sheikh Bn hud-III-Alee, now encamped
on the bank of tho Tigris near the lludd, with the viow of appointing him Kniin Makam at
S'lkesh Shiookh in lieu of Micikli Mnnsoor ; but that, in order to guard against tho recusancy
of either Chief, ho had, in the meantime dispatched reinforcements to the garrison of Knot­
ch Ainarch and Dowanieh, and had takcu every precaution to restrict tho disturbances to tho
narrowest possible limits.
Although, in ignorance of tho views and intentions of Namik Pasha, I abstained on my
passage from Basrah from holding any cunmunication with Sheikh Fa hud, 1 agreo with His
Excclloncy that his rivalry to Sheikh Mnnsoor will realily induce tho former to embrace this
opportunity of serving tho Government, the mare especially that the hope lias been hold out to
him tho grant of a portion of the lands, the private property of the latter, which will be declared
forfeited. In this ease order must he speedily ro?torcd, and the construction of the telegraph
would not be for a moment delayed ; but assuming the contrary, I venture to think that tho
permanent security of the work hereafter must depend upon the success of the plan iu progress
to give a more settled administ ration to the district-) through which it must cross : aud on
this account 1 submit it is not to ho regretted that the occasion, though late owing to tho
term of tho late Sheikh Hander's Io;«so extending to the end of tho past official year, should
have been seizod by Namik Pasha to give effect to his policy.
Tho party which plundered the telegraph operatives on tho Hilleh section were some
mounted Bedouin Dhofyr.-* and match lockmon from the Muntefik tribe, led by a slave of
Sheikh Munsoor. Mis Excellency Namik Pasha has promised to obtain iudemuification for
the operatives who were shipped. _____________
No 3, dated tho 27th January 18G4.
From—-CotONKi A. B. Kemdall, Her Majesty's Consul-General at Baghdad,
To—Tho Hon'd LB E. M. Erskikk, Her Britannic Majesty's Cliargd d' Affaires, Constantinople.
The attitudo assumed by tho Monlejlk Sheikhs and tho determination they avowed of
nrmed resistance, takcu in conjunction with tho
Political A., May 1801. Nos. 13G139.
refusal of Sheikh Fnhud-el-Alcc to accept the
Kitim Mukamlik of Snkesh Shiookh, have induced Namik Pasha to forego his projects of
changing the firm of Government in the Monlcfik districts, and Mis Excellency has according­
ly proposed to invest Sheik Nassir, brother ot Sheik Mnnsoor, and to grant him the lease of
those districts for ono year on the same terms as it was held by tho late Sheikh Bunder.
This determination has neen suddenly come to by Namik Pasha after he had summoned
reinforcement a from Kirko-'k and Moral, and otherwise made considerable progress in military
preparations in consideration of tho lime and expense that would be necessary to carry out his
purpose, and l infer from his remarks that lie has it in view also to facilitate that' purpose at
a later date by creating rivalry between the brothers. That Sheikh A'asir, conscious of his
guilty opposition to Government, will immediately obey His Excellency’s summons to Baghdad
is, I think, d lubtful.
Sh rtly after my return from Bussorah I received a communication, signed by that Chief
and other elders of the Montedk, deprecating the plan formed by the Pasha and soliciting ray
int*rvcnti ra t> dissuade him from its further prosecution, which communication I immediately
submitted to the perusal of His Excellency, with tho draft of my proposed reply. This
reply was, of cour.-e. superseded by His Excellency's change of intention, but I subjoin it in
copy for your Exccllency’6 information, as indicating the courso that, with His Excellency's
approval, I had determined to adopt on tho occasion ; when, however, Sheik Nassir’s Agent
was quitting Bighdad, charged with the summons to his Chief, he waited upon me to state
that m hope existed of its being complied with, unloss I would pledge my word as a guarantee
for the Sheikh’s personal security. I declined, of course, to tako upon myself such a respon­
sibility, unless so solicited in writing by Namik Pasha, to whom I accordingly referred him ;
but his fears! it seems, not permitting him to broach this condition to His Excellency, I
thought it my duty to advise Namik Pasha of what had passed between us. His Excel­
lency replied, that the solemn podges he had already given, together with the prospect of
investiture, would suffice, iu his opinion, to re-assuro Sheikh A'assir, and for the present
lie would not-avail himself of my intervention.
No. 4. dated tho 24th February ISG4.
From—Colokkl A. B. Kdmdall, Her Majesty’s Couiul-Gonornl at Baghdad.
To—Tho Ho.v’nr.K E. M. Erseinb, Her Majosty’s Clwrgo d’Affaircs. Constantinople.
I regret to inform your Excclloncy that the Montefik difficulty is still unsettled, and
IbiA that I apprehend, in conscqupnce, tho protracted
interruption of our telegraphic operations in
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