Page 244 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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234 Records of Bahrain

y. /<■( 'So <" 73,

No. 110, doled Bahrein, tho 4th (roooivod 14th) Maroh 1005.
From Major P, Z. Cox., Officiating Political Roiident in tho Pariian Gulf,
To-Tho Officiating 8oorotnry to the Uomnraqut of India in tho Foreign Dopart.
In continuation of tho corroapoudonoo onding with Foreign Dopartmont
tologramNo. "M-E. B., dated 18th Fobrunry, to my address, I lmvo tho honour
to submit, for tho information of tho Government of India, a roport regarding
tho measures since takon at Dahroiu. * 0 °
2. I arrived at Bahroin on the ovoning of 23rd Fobrunry in U. M. 8*
Jledbrcaet, whioh had been placed at my disposal by tho Sonior Naval
Officer in liou of tho Lawrence rccontly doputod to assist tho operations of tho
Gazettoor party on tho southern ooast of Oman. At Bahroin thoro woro
nlroady U. M. 8. Sphinx, which had boon on duty thoro for sorno days as
guard-ship, and H. M. 8. Fox undor tho command of Captain J. B. Euataoo,
Senior Naval Offioor, wliich had preoedod mo from Bushiro.
In ordor to snyo daylight I did not wait for tho Shoikh’s usual visit on
hoard hut landed at onoo and asked him to pay Ilia visit at tho Agunoy tho
following morning.
Captain Pridoaux, Assistant Political Agont, had kopt him informod as
far as possible of my movements and had advisod him, for tho moro expedi­
tious transaction of business, to tako up his rosidonoo at Manama during my
stay, hut this ho had not arrangod to do, and when I arrived ho was himself
residing at Mubarrug as usual, while his son Bhoikh Unmod, with his zenana*
was absent at his country-houso some miles outsido tho town. Sheikh Esn,
however, eamo over to call upon mo in tho morning as requested, accompanied
ouly by his young grandson Khalifa, an apparently nioo boy of 14 or 16 years,
H » whom tbo Chiof almost invariably has in his company. Tho Sonior Naval
■ Officer and Captain Pridoaux woro presont at tho intorviow and tho usual
formalities were exchanged. As soon as those wero oonoludod I informed tho
Bhoikh that I had couio over to mako an imporfcnnt communication to him on
behalf of Government and requostod him to bo prosont at tbo eamo hour noxt
morning to roociyo it.
Ho ox pressed his willingness to do so, and os ho liad already been informod
by Captain Pridoaux, at tho timo of tho sottlcmont of tho Gorman oaso, Ihnt
had the orders of Government boon roocivcd in timo, Shcikli Ali would not
liavo beon allowed to roturn, I thought it as well to warn him boforo leaving
that tho doparturo of his nephew from Bahrein was an item of tho dcoision of
Govommont in regard to tho rcoont oases, and that ho had hotter oause him to
mako preparations for oarly doparturo. I also told him that his son Hamed's
proporjplaco was hosido his father, and that I hoped that ho would bo forthwith
summoned from his suburban rosidcnco.
8. The Chiof arrivod up to timo noxt moruiug, accompanied by his son
Abdulla find tho grandson boforo montioned and was roooivod with suitablo
honours at tho Agonoy. His oldost son Hamed was still absont, but was
oxpootod.
With mo wero tho Sonior Naval Offioor, Captain Pridoaux, Assistant
Politioal Agont, Commander Bowman of H. M. S. Sphinx, and Lioutonont
Qabriol, now at Bahroin on Gazetteor duty.
The ultimatum of Government was duly prosonted to tho Chief in tho
detailed form, of which a translation forms Euolosuro No. 1 of this roport.
The only speoial romnrk whioh tho terms of it soem to call for is in roforonco
to Eomand No. 1, to whioh I added tho names of tho four porsons who had boforo
boon flogged and expelled in conncotion with tho Gorman oaso, but who had
sinoo boon allowed by Bhoikh Esa to roappear in Manama.
’ Having mastered tho details of tho ultimatum as now prosonted to him, tho
Bhoikh procccdod to pros* porsistontly and to advanoo ovory possible protoxfc
for an extension of tho timo, namoly, 2-1 hours, givon for oomplianco, and an
r analysis of his protostations made it ovidont that it was ospooially in connection
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