Page 198 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

ion Records oj Bahrain

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Tlicko nro tlic views I have formed on tho caso, and if you acquiesce ijl
thorn, I think, I shall ho nblo to bring tho affair to a speedy conolusion. If
you aro not satisfied it will bo necessary to await definito ordora from my
suporior ofiloor, tho Political ltosidont in tho Persian Gulf, who will return to
llushiro from tho iutorior of Persia on or about tho 20lh Novomber nost.

liiiolosuro No. 0.
Dated Bahrein, tho SOtli Octobor 1004.
From—IIked, ltynsax Wonckuaub,,
To—-Captain F, 13. Piudeaux, Assistant Political Agent, Bahrein.
Your lettor, dated 28th instant, was duly rocoivcd by mo. I cannot ngroo
to what you say that " thcro havo boon orrors of judgmont and impropor actions
on both sides At loost as far as Mr. liahnson is concorncd, I- vonturo to havo
a difforcut opinion and concerning tho action of my man Abdullah 1 do not
think that blamo is to be attached to his bohaviour.
You yourBolf admit that the first mistako of courso was committed by tho
man of Sheikh AH bin Ahmed rofusing to givo up tho firm’s bag to my man
Abdullah. I believo that this was not tho first mistako committed by tlio
Shuikh’s man; tho first mistako was undoubtedly that ho pressed a ooolio
omployod by mo and that ho stuck (sic) to him though ho was told in a very polito
way by my eorvant Abdullah that if Shoikh Ali wanted somo coolies lio might
only 6ond over and ask mo for somo as a favour.
According to your idea Abdullah “orred still moro seriously, whon ho
ondenYonrod to recovor tlio hag by forco, used languago which was calculated to
aoccntuato tlio quarrol and ouded by striking tho Shoikh's sorvaut with tho
lattor’a own stick.’'
This I bolicYO is not quito oorrcot; I should think that if a man takes away
proporty of mino and bo it only an empty bag ho is a thief and I do not sco tho
roa*on why a man should not try to rooover his lawful proporty from a thiof by
taking it away from him even by foroo if ncocssary.
It is not at all oortain that Abdullah was tho first man to uso languago
" which was oaloulatcd to acccntuato tho quarrolou tho contrary, ho assorts
that it was tho Sheikh’s man who used offensive languago and who was ovon-.tlio
first ono to attack. Abdullah had oulv touchod.thobag.so far and- not tho man
at all. That in tho fight, which onsued Abdullah proved-tho stronger, managod
to tako tho Shoikh’s man’s stiok away from him and struok tho man with it,
Abdullah quito admits, but I do not think it fair, to blamo a man whon boing
attacked first, for liis getting tho host of tho fight.
At this point Mr. Balinson was assistod by anothor 6orvant of tho Shoikh
to torminato tho fight, and if mattors had ended bore, tho wholo affair would not
have boon of much importance, and 1 vonturo to think that ovou.at.thia tiino
tho bnlanco would not at all bo in favour of tho Sheikh’s.-man.
If you havo bcon told by somobody that my man Abdullah has an overbear­
ing maunor that somebody does not scorn to .bo a oompotout judgo- of it. This
sorvant of mino is with mo for six years and I daresay I can olaim moro know-
lodgo of his character and manners than any outsidor, and I can honostly
confess that I havo nevor noticed an OYorboaring inanuor of his in his dealings
with people.
n’ii0 'foci of AbduUab's submitting to, tlio unjustified hiding., («o), ho
received from Shoikh All witliou. striking in his turn does not scorn to mo: to
boar out your presumption of his having an overbearing mnnnor.
I must say that * and with mo probably (nost people bavo notiood-tbat
moro or less all tho servants of tho (Moront.Sheikhs of thi piece do possess an
overbearing manner. IJ.is fact is borne out by tho stories and threats, against
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