Page 87 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter III. G5

tho present expedition, if, indeed, that expedition should not alienate Sheikh Fuhud and revive
his suspicious as to tho ulterior views of tho Government.
Sheikh Fu/iud is still located on the right hank of the Tigris at Alec Sherkec, assisted by
a detachment of troops from the camp at tho Mud
300 Inf.mtry, l Run. he is reported to have successfully repelled an at.*
203 Ag«il m itcliiockinoo.
100 Buihoo Btuouk*. tack (more feigned it is said than real by Sheikh
Munsoor’a party, but ho has been unable to movo
from his original position; nor is it probable, unless he should succeed in creating a division
among his opponents, that thoy will rolax their efforts to intercept his advance. Under these
cirouraetanoos. should Hafiz Pasha’s forec fail in its object, the result must be to compel tho
Porto to carry out at. all costs tho policy of coercion thus initialed by Namik Pasha, or to
accent tho humiliating alternative of confirming Sheikh Munsoor in tho headship oE the Monte*
fik tribes. From the known sentiments of Namik Pasha, I boliovo his real aim to be to force
on this issue. His dread of the extension of JiriUsh influence among the Arabs amounts to
Mania, of which the exhibition is no longer disguised. Thus, when advised from the best
sources that the ciders on tho Monlefik only needed, my assuranco of the sincerity of Namik
Pasha's concessions a* regarded both the resumption of their lands and the treatment of them­
selves in order to make their submission, I tendered my mediation in that sense, and submit­
ted to His Excellency drafts of tbo letters I proposed to write to them (of which I enclose
copies) His Excellency, \Vhilo admitting their probable efficaoy, replied that the example of
the Libanou after the occupation of Syria by Ibrahim Pasha, bad determined him to decline
foreign intervention on all occasions and in any form whatever^ nor could he be persuaded of
the want of parallelism or analogy in the two eases.
Again, when more recently informed by a telegraphic despatch from Shebli Pasha at
Dewanieh that the heads of the Motelik families proposed to address me collectively in order to
ask my mediation, IIis Excellency immediately scut to desire that 1 would reject their applica­
tion and refuse to answer it.
This course I have declined to adopt as needlessly discourteous to my correspondents, but
t have assured His Excollcncy that their letter when received should be immediately laid
beforo His Excellency, and that His Excellency's decision, provided it were not coupled with
any matter of a nature to commit or compromise myself, should be faithfully communicated to
them. I deemed it right to specify this condi; ion, because, on the last occasion, when, with
His Excellency’s sanction, I addressed' Sheikh Nasser and Munsoor (vide despatch No. 16,
dated 26th March 1804), His Excellency privately urged the former Chief, then, as now, •is
guest at Baghdad’ not only to repudiate'my interference, but even to adduce tho telegraph as
,
the cause of the existing disturbances. To this suggestion, of course, Sheikh Nassir, perceiv­
ing tho trap that was laid for him. declined to accede, but, without betraying my knowledge
of His Excellency's procedure, I ventured to profit by a hint to myself in the same sense in
the course of conversation, in order to i>oinr. out the futility of His Excellency's argument.
Not only, I observed, was an after-thought of this nature inconsistent with the hostility dis­
played by the Arabs in plundering a large quaotityof Government grain destined for Jcdda
(an act which could hardly have buon prompted by their aversion to the telegraph), but, on the
contrary, the appeal made to myself by the rebellious Chiefs and their kindly and cordial
demeanour towards Mr. Johnston and the officers*
• Vide onclosurc to despatch No. 19, dated Bib 0f the Cornet on a late occasion, the trip having
April 18G4.
been underiaken iu concert with Samee Effcndi,
sufficiently refuted the motives attributed to them; while, on the other hand, His Excellency
could not be ignorant of the universal belief that His Excellency had purposely compassed the
existing cmbr.'glio, in order to bar a work from which ho was supposed to be averse. His
Excellency then assured me that I had misapprehended his meaning, but I mention the
circumstance, lest, in order to justify his policy and to excuse the delays it has occasioned,
Namik Paslia should have had recourse to such an argument in his communications with the
Porte. I need hardly, 1 believe, assure yoiir Excellency that the insinuation it conveys is
wholly unfounded; nothing could be more friendly than the present disposition of the Arab
tribes towards to English, or more willing, I am satisfied than would prove their co-operation
in a measure known to have emanated from tho authority of- Her Majesty the Sultan were it
not their aim by every means in their power, including, of course, the stoppage of the boats
ladeuwith materials, to discredit Namik Pasha with the central Goverumeut.
No. 35, dated tho 15th June‘1804.
From—Colonsl A. B. Kbmdail, o.b, HcrMajosty's Consul-Gonoral at Baghdad,
To—His Excellbnct tub Uiout Hon’dlb Sib H. L. Bulweb, o.c.b., Her Majesty’s Ambassador.
The nomination of Sheikh Fuhiul to tbe Chicfship of the Moutefig for the same period,
being three years, and on the same terms pre­
Political A, August 1804, No*. 100-101.
cisely on wh'ich this Office was held by the late
Sheikh Bunder, appears to have satisfied the eldors of the tribe, the great majority of whom
have tendered their submission to his authority. I should add, however, that of three of their
number who were induced by the promise of Rae-Amun to present themselves in Sheikh
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