Page 86 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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missing. Wo would, however,'montion that somo of tho arms woro kopt in
two godowns undomoath tho Agent's kouso, but as soon ns nows ot tho seizure
at Bushiro was rocoivod by him, ho hurriedly got thorn romovod to hired godowns
in tho neighbourhood, as already stated in this lottor. Tho unusual hurry
with which tho removal was effected, whereby our representative was unnblo to
oxoroiso any check, ns he cannot bo in two places at tho samo timo, and tho
fact that, soon after the removal of tho arms, the Agent’s man in charge of tho
arms, Abdul Aziz, wont to tho adjacent island of Mobarralc, and did not return
till after threo'days, coupled with tho furthor fact that tho Agent cxpoctcd
that tho guns woro about to be soizod and confiscated by tho British Govern­
ment, furnishos us strong grounds to suspect that somo of the guns have boon
mado away with by tho Agont. Tho Agent had no particular reason to romovo
tho arms from his Agency premises if ho had not received a hint from Bushiro
that stops wero in contemplation to soizo our arms iu Bahrein, as was douo in
Bushiro.
Tho ciroumstances connected with tho thoft of arms from our godowns in
Bahrein are as follows:—
On tho 15th January last information was brought to our representative
that ono of our godowns, situated in tho house of ono Yousif-ul-Grcycr, was
broken into, during tho previous night, and some goods romovod. Ho was also
informed that tho men concerned in this wore tho Agent’s sorvants, viz., Abdul
Aziz, Kai Abbol Abood, aud Yusuf Kanoo. Our representative at onco wroto
to tho Agent about tho matter, but tho latter refused to receive the lottcr,
which was sent to him registered through the post, —an unusual proceeding on
tho part of tho Residency Agent, who is in Bahroin to rccoivo verbal or
written complaints, and not to refuse thorn. Our representative then repre­
sented tho matter to tho Sheikh, who sent his Munshi Sharaidah to enquire
into tho complaint, but wo understand tho Agont told him not to interfere in
the matter, and so he abstained from making any formal enquiry. Subsequently,
when the second robbery took place, an examination was mado of [this
godown, and it was provod to all present that this godown coul<f oasily have
boen oponed by the Agent’s men by simply pulling out the staple of tho door
on which our lock had been placed. All tho godowns arc sooured with two
padlocks, ono belonging to us and tho other to tho Agont. Iu tho case of this
godown jour lock was fastened to the staplo at tho bottom of tho door frame,
but tho staple boiug not firmly fixed (by tho ouds being turned down flat from
inside) could easily bo pulled out by means of an iron rod, or other similar
instrument. The first thing our ropresontativo noticed was that one out of two
cases of Manlichor cartridges, which woro near tho door, was missing. Tho
Agent had sold some Manlichor carbines to tho representative of Bon ltasohcd,
Chief of Nejd, through their Bahrein Agent named Mujbil-uz-Zookair, from
whom ho had receivod the money, but did not pay it to our ropresontativo, who
had consequently withheld dolivory of tho cartridges ponding receipt of the
money. We find on enquiry that tho buyer of tho Manlichor carbines, who
was complaining of tho delay in delivering him tho cartridges, had received
those after tho robbery, which goes to provo that the robbery did tako place and
the Agent had directly or indirectly some conncotion. Tho fact of tho thoft
from this godown is matter of common notorioty in Bahrein.
Tho second robbery curiously onough occurred only a couple of days after
the first ono. On tho 18th January last tho Agont sent word to our ropreson­
tativo that another godown (No. 4>) had boon broken opon and robbed. Our
roprosontativo wanted to examino tho godown, but tho Agout did notallow him
to do so, and said that ho would write and inform tho Shoikh about tho matter.
Por threo successive days bo kept Bonding for our roprosontativo backwards and
forwards to tho Agoucy without making any attempt to enquiro into tho
ocourrcnco, until tho Sheikh’s Munshi camo on tho 21st idoin, wlion tho contents
of tho godown, which had boon entered through a broach mado into tbo wall
by taking out tho window framo, woro examined. Pivo guns woro found to bo
missing out of 202, which had boon stowed here. Tho 272 guns found boro woro
taken cliargo of by tho Sheikh’s Munshi, who removed them to anothor godown*
on which ho placed his own lock. Ho howovor subsequently sent word to our
representative to say there woro only 206 guns, so that six guns had boon mado