Page 313 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

British influence and foreign interests, 1904-1906 303

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It will 1)0 aeon from paragraph 4 thorcof that four-fifths of tho revonuois
fra mod by Messrs. Gungaram Tikamdass for tho yoara Fobruary 1000 to Janu­
ary 11)08 for Its. 90,000 per annum.
On tho nocount for theso two years I understand that Shoikli Esa has
already roccivcd Rs. 70,000 in advaneo which ho has presumably spent and
Hint ho now recoivos from tho farnior Rs. 4,500 per moneom.
Tho existing farm for tho romaining ono-fifth of tho rovonuo oxpirea
in April 1900, whon Shoikli Esa propoaoa to tnlco it ovor himsolf, or what ho
is pleased to oall taking it ovor himself. Ho has already within tho last
fortnight or ao contracted loaua amounting to R9. 20,000 on tho security of this
ono-fifth, on which ho has drawn bills; aud ho will no doubt continue to
hypothecate it up to tho utmost limit.
Thin moans that ho has had nearly tho wliolo of his rovonuo for tho year
1900-1907 in advaneo.
Bosidcs this ho is bolioved to havo had a oonsidorablo portion of tho valuo
of tho poarls belonging to tho 09tato of Soyyid Khalaf as oxplained in my
letter No. 76 of to-day’s dato.
His financial position thoroforo is as unsatisfactory as it oould well bo. '
On tho othor hand, local merchants with tho best opportunities of know­
ing tho faots inform tho Politioal Agent that if properly conducted not threo
lakhs but five, could bo roalised from tho Customs.
** BrTlio question of tho trentmont to bo accorded to the British Indian
Firm which at presont has tho furrn, doos not seem to bo a vory difficult or
complicated problem.
They havo ropoatodly boon informed of our iiitontion to administrate tho
Customs and it would soom to lie quite sufficient for us to pay them tho
balance duo to thorn of tho prioo which they, paid for tho farm, with reasonable
intorest, by monthly or quartorly instalments rocovorod from tho Customs
recoipts.
If tho Government of India preferred to pay oft tho wholo in cash at onco,
as suggested in paragraph 7 of Oolonol Komball’s lottor under rofercnco, so
.much, tho bottor. In. any case a statemont of account which was correct
•to-day might roquiro modification to-morrow so that it would be necessary
•that tho prooiso figuros should bo finally gone iuto on tho spot should tho
Governraont of India dooide to move at an early dato in tho dircotion of tho
assumption of tho Bahroin Customs.

Memorandum of what passed at an interview between the Sheikh of Pahreint
the Political Resident in the Persian Oulf and the Political Agent at
Bahrein, on the 14th February 1906.
The weather being somewhat uncertain and Sheikh Esa having asked to
bo excused coming ovor to Manama as ho was sufforing from a cold and oough,
which mado it inadvisablo for him to go abroad, Captain Prideaux and I
arranged to 6pond tho day at Muharraq on tho 14th Fobruary. I had re­
quested Sheikh Hamad tho evening beforo to ask his father to moko a list of
or keep in mind any topics whioh ho might wish to disouss with mo.
We found tho Shoikli apparently in his usual health, and ho said he
was fooling bottor, but ho was aotually troublod with a slight oough. Ho was
•accompanied by his throe sons, Hamad, Mabomod and Abdulla, aud a young
son of Sboikh Hamad, who howover disappeared beforo wo bogan to talk
business. , .
After tbo uRual formal onquirica had boon oxohangod and ooffeo aervod
I told tho Shoikli. that I bad oomo ovor to stay for two or threo days, and
reminding, him of my mosaago of tho ovouing beforo askod him if thoro woro
any Bpcoial matters, whioh ho desirod to discuss with mo.