Page 368 - INDIANNAVYV1

336 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NA\'Y. —

of the small villages on both sides of the Gulf, had been
compelled to join in piratical pursuits. As the Uttoobees of
Bahrein had never committed any depredations against British
trade, even at times when the Joasmis were enriching themselves
by their frequent capture of our vessels, the commanders
abstained from attacking Khor Hassan.
On his arrival at Bombay, Commodore Wainwright, both in
General Orders and in a report to Government, expressed in the
warmest terms his approval of the discipline, efficiency, and
enterprise displayed by the Bombay Marine during the period
they were nnder his command. The Government of the day
highly appreciated this testimony, and, in consideration of the
good services rendered by the officers, created a new grade, by
appointing eight Lieutenants to be Commanders, a rank hitherto
unknown in the Service. By this increase the strength of the
Marine now stood thus :—One commodore, one master-attendant
(the senior captain), eight senior and eight junior captains, eight
commanders, twenty-six first and twenty-four second-lieutenants,
and fortj'-eight midshipmen.
From tho Persian Gulf a portion of the Service proceeded to
take part in the Exj^edition against Mauritius, and thence, in the
following year to Java, where they earned fresh distinction. In
the Eastern Islands they w-ere actively employed between the
years 1811-16 in the various expeditions against pirates and
Native States, already detailed, and only returned to Bombay
to participate in the final operations against the Joasmis.
It was the prevalent opinion at Bombay, founded on the
results of this Expedition, that the Joasmis had been rendered
quite incapable of committing any further depredations by sea.
The Resident at Bussorah confirmed this view, but added :
" Such was the revengeful and vindictive spirit of the Wahabee
tribe, and of the inhabitants on the Arabian side of the Gulf,
under the jurisdiction and authority of Sheikh Saood, that they
"will attempt to wreak their vengeance on any defenceless British
vessels which they may meet." Accordingly, as their country
produced no timber suitable for ship or boat-building, Mr.
Mannesty recommended a prohibition being imposed on the
exportation of timber from the ports of India either to those of
the Red Sea or the Persian Gulf, even including Muscat, from
which place the pirates would contrive to procure it. But,
though this course was strongly approved by Sir John Malcolm,
it was not adopted by the Bombay Government. The lesson of
1809, though severe, did not create an abiding impression,
although one would have thought that the Joasmi pirates had
learnt that honesty was not only the best policy, but that pearl-
fishing during the season, with the monotonous and uneventful
life of trading, was on the whole more profitable, as the large
returns of piracy were swallowed up by such wholesale acts of