Page 206 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

196 Records of Bahrain

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dismayed by tho punishmont awarded to Shoikh Ali’a sorvants tlio day bororo. (
I ondoavoiircd to explain to Slioikh llamod tlio sanctity of a British Court and
tho unreasonableness of this attitude, pointing out tlmt his fnthor had parti­
cularly asked mo to make this personal inquiry and now that I was beginning to
do so ho rofusod to sond mu tho men whom I might want to seo.
I failed, however, to mako any impression upon his ignorant obstinacy and
finally told him that I could not alford to woato more (imo and mast at any
rato got on with examination of tho Persians to-day and would liko to intor-
view his fathor on tho morrow as provisionally arranged, both in ordor to pro­
nounco tho warning to Shoikh Ali in his prosonoo regarding his departuro
from Bahrein and then to show him (Shoikh Esa) tho results of to-day’s inqui­
ries into tho Arab-Pcrsian enso.
llnmcd tlion relumed to Muharrag and tho Va/.ior Sheroidoh romainod
while I recorded the statements of tho Persian sufforors. I guvo him overy I
opportunity to put questions und cross-oxnmitio and his behaviour gave mo no* ]
cause to complain.
Copies of statomonts ncoompany (Enclosure No. 0) and I request porusal
of thorn, but in view of what follows it scorns unnecessary to disouss tho dotails
of them at this point, and I will theroforo dismiss them with the observation that
in most eases tho wounds nndinjurios of tho witnesses and tho medical ovidonco
iiifordcd corroboration of tlio general truth of their 6tory and proof of tho
sovority of tho attack made upon them.
9. Tho examination of theso aitnossos took mo till lato in tho ovoniug.
December 6th.—Next morning Captain Pridoaux and I visited Shoikh
Isa. Uo being an old man and feeling discomfort from tho cold wind and son
ou tho journoy over from Maharrag, wo had offorod to visit him instoud of
asking him to como ovor again.
Ilia two sons and Shoikh Ali wero present, and after tho oxohango of
greetings with tlio Shoikh, I proceeded to oxplain my views to Sheikh Ali as to
the neeo.'sity of his leaving Bahrein forthwith with his unruly followors.
He replied tlmt lie had no other courso opon to him than to aceopt bucIi
arrangements as Shoikh Esa and I might come to with regard to him.
Thereupon the Chief prococdod to speak stoutly in dofouco of his nophow,
! but how for bis attitude was gonuino and bow far nssumod in ordor to savo his
faco beforo his nephew I am unabln to say. Tho drift of his nrguraonts waa
; that his nephew had bocn sufficiently punished by tho fino of 111,000 and tho
flogging of his servants and that ho had done nothing to deservo the disgraco of
expulsion and was entirely undor his uncle’s orders. [As to tho fino, 1 fear it
must liavo been paid by shoikh Esa himself.]
After somo concessions on oitbor sido lie was at last induood to aceopt tlio
draft, writton on tho spot, of tlio undertaking which forms onclosuro 1*1 of my
previous roport (No. '120, datod 17th December 190*1) and which provided
that Sheikh Ali should romain for tho Ecd and then absent himself and his
entourage for three weoks pending roooipt of the orders of tho Govommont
of Indiu.
10. This matter having been disposed of, wo wont on to disouss tho Arab-
Pcrsian affray caso.
I referred to Sheikh Hamed’s intimation of the day boforc to tho offcct
that Arabs would not bo sent to mo for examination, and ondeavoured to
explain to Sheikh Esa, ns I had to his son, tho unreasonableness of his attitudo.
I wont on '.o say that I had now heard all the Porsian statomonts, which wero
fully homo out by thoir wounds, (ono of tho sulfcrors boing an old man of
80 who was nearly battered to doath) and that, as ho would not let mo oxamino
tho Arabs, I must form my opinion on tho evidonoo availablo to mo, and all
that now remained for mo to do was to oxplain my ideas ns to tho stops whloh
•should bo takon to punish tho offendors and oomponsato tho sullorors, und
discuss thorn with tho Shoikh with a viow to thoir boing carried out. I then 1
indicated to Sheikh Esa what my views woro (scoonolosuro No. 0).
At tho same time I oxplainod lhat wliilolhcso woro my porsonal yiows,
I wus quilo ready, as long as 1 found him prepared to do substantial justice in