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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 337

vengeance and confiscation as the destruction of their fleets and
conflagration of their towns with their accumulated plunder.
The ' Benares ' and ' Prince of Wales ' cruised in the Gulf in
1811, when the British flag was respected, but, on their return
to Bombay in November, the Joasmis recommenced their depre-
dations. In the begiiniing of 1812, and in the following year,
they destroyed several large dhows and baghalahs belonging to
the ports of Bussorah and Congoon ; boats navigating under
British colours did not escape depredations, while others were
detained at Porebunder, and prevented from prosecuting their
mercantile pursuits. In 1813 the Lnaum prepared an expe-
dition against the port of Ras-ul-Khymah, for the purpose of
reinstating in his Government Sheikh Sultan Bin Suggur, who,
as already mentioned, had been treacherously confined by Saood,
but succeeded in effecting his escape. As Bin Suggur promised
that if the Imaum would restore him to his hereditary j)Os-
sessions, he would ever consider himself his vassal and woiiM
abstain from conmiitting piracies, his Highness requested Mr.
Bruce, the British agent at Bushire, at that time on a visit to
Muscat, to accompany him to witness the treaty which he pro-
posed entering into with Sultan Bin Suggur, and for the purpose
also of negotiating a separate treaty to the same effect with the
Joasmi chief on the part of the British Government. As tlie
renewal of the treaty entered into by Bin Suggur with Cajitain
Seton in 1806, was deemed essential for restraining the piratieal
acts of his subjects, Mr. Bruce was instructed to adopt the
necessary measures, and to contract similar engagements with
the other chieftains in the Gulf.
The Imaum's expedition failed, but a second one, equipped
in 1814, for a similar purpose, terminated in a peace concluded
between the Imaum and the Joasmis, by which Sheikh Sultan
Bin Suggur was established at Sharjah. Later on, in conse-
quence of piratical depredations, remonstrances were transmitted
by Mr Bruce to the chief of the Wahabees at Dereeyah, and to
his vice-gerent at Ras-ul-Khymah, Hussein-bin-Iiahmah, who
stated in reply that he was not aware that any vessels bearing-
the British pass and colours had been captured by the .loasmis,
but that if it should prove to be the case, such jirnperty as
might be forthcoming would be restored, and that in future lie
would issue instructions to his tribe not to molest any siiip or
vessel under British colours. On the 2nd of October, a Wukeel,
or envoy, arrived at Bushire with letters Irom the Wahabee
Chief* and Ilussein-bin-Kahmah; the former disapproving of
* Great reverses fell upon the Wahabee cnuec at this time. lu 1813
Abclulhih, son of Saood, was driven out of the Hedjaz by Ibrahim i'asha, adopted
son of Mehemet Ali, Pasha of Egypt, and, in the fuliowing year, oecurred the
death of Saood. Five years later Abdullah, who sueeeeded Ins father, wus taken
prisoner and executed at Constantinople, and the Wahabee capital, Uereeyah,
was destroyed. Before the end of 1821, Toorkee, son of Abdullah, wlio had been
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VOL. I.