Page 213 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

British influence and foreign interests, 1904-1906 203

10
5 Slioikh Ali commonood by^.doijjfias

tlm Chief Sheikh Isa, and he further allogod that if Shoikh Isa would havo per­
mitted it, ho would havo boon glad to havo tried to sottlo the onso with tho
Germans amicably out of Court. At tho ond of our intcrviow 1m promisod to
CTnjj-n nLLlw» rinyli^lcj^oycr to MfllmtiflK, w]iQrfl^3hoikh_Isa rHKrmrmrrly-
on tho following morning.
0. During tho night Shoikh Isa sont ono of his head aorvants to Haji Abdul
Nabi's house und told him to ro6t assured that satisfaction would be givon him.
7. In the morning, unnwaro of tho Inst incidont, I called on tho Cliiof and
sont word also to such of tho sufferors as could move, to bo present at tho same
timo. I bolievo that 8hcikh Ali must also havo bcon to tho Oliiof boforo my
arrival, for I found Shoikh Isa's nttitudo at first most obstinate. He declared
that 1 iQjvould not admit auv interforono u.iiO^iJA.0 flflxLAyaba and.
PersioinTwIio wero all Mabommedryjs, and said that ho had mado up bis mind to
hnvo tho prosont caso^sotilod by a Shara Court. I urged him to tho best of my
ability to hold the onquiry to hioisclf as no Sunni Shara Court was iu tho loast
likoly to do justice to Porsinns, and raoroovor tho conduct of more thou ono of
the Al Khalifa family was soriously in quostion. I thou obsorvod that if tho
Chief ignored my advico in this matter • ho would bo afterwards sorry for it,
just ns I was sure ho would rogrot not having allowed Shoikh Ali to compound
tho ease which tho Gormans wore pressing against him. Tho Oliiof roplied
that ho had heard nothing of any advico giveu by mo to Slioikh Ali, and
when I told him that I had suid that I thought that if Shoikh Ali wrote
Air. TYonokhaus au apology of his own initiative and offored a fair sum of
money as compensation to Mr. Bahnson, the Gormans would not bo backward
in buryiug tho lintchot; the Chief showed considerable signs of iutorest, and
enquirod what sum in my opinion would be ncceptablo to tho Gorman firm.
This quostion I did not see my way to answer. Tho Cliiof at tho oloso of
our intorviow, in which other matters wero also discussed, reiterated his
declaration that justice would bo done to tho Porsians, and I contented myself
v—- ✓* with saving that I should follow tho coursy of tho onquiry with interest. X
musT not omit to mention that at £ho bogTnning^of our intorview tho Chiof
doolarod ho would not admit tho wounded Porsians into his prosonoc, but
beforo I left ho did seo them.
8. On my return to ray liouso I hoard that tho two ohief ringloadors had
again just bcon assaulting Persians in tho Bazaar, that all tho Porsians in
conscqucnco wore kconing. thoir shops, closod and that Sheikh Ali’s mon wero
patrolling tlio streets in bands ot ‘lO and 15 on tho lookout for casual Porsians.
I thoroforo sout Haji Abbas back again at once to tho Chiof with this nows
and a messago that if any furthor barm was done, ho himsolf could not
possibly bo absolvod from blamo. I rcpcatod a suggestion that I had mado
that Shoikh Ali should bo ordored to reside in Moharrag, during the month of
ltnraznn, and that tho Chiof should send over sotno of his own immodiato'
followors from Moharrag to police tho Manamah Bazaar streets. Tho Chiof
\ sent mo back word that ho would bco that no furthor troublo occurred, nud
cdso.tbat ho-had^aftcr.alLdooidcdJoJipld tho onquiry himsolf. Ho did not»
however, follow tho advico I had givon him as mentioned above. *
,0. YojtordQilnoBday^t.ho_Persians’ shops.remained olosod and Shoikh
Aha mc.n..cou(,inuod*bohavingI as.>forc: To-day nows lia7VecHT?dughTto'
mo that Sheikh Isa has sont o.messago to Haji Abdul Nobi that as bo appoalod
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