Page 236 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

194 MUSKATi

The Imaum having long suspected that Shaikh Abdool Russool
Khan, the Governor of Bushire, had, by his in­
a. d. 1826.
trigues and misrepresentations, traduced him at
the Court of Shiraz, and even attempted to supplant him in his
proposed
connexion with the sister of the Prince Royal of Fars, His Highness
availed himself of the absence of his rival, on a pilgrimage to Mecca
to declare war, in May 1826, against his territories. On the 27th
July 1S26, His Highness’ fleet appeared off Bushire, and excited
considerable alarm in the minds of the inhabitants, which, however,
was allayed on its being ascertained that it had come to Bushire solely
for the purpose of landing the cargo of Shaikh Abdool Russool’s ship
the Noosrut Shah, which had been previously captured by the Imaum on
her way from Bengal. No aggressions whatever were committed against
the town or trade, and after some little discussion about the payment of
duties, the cargo was landed, and the fleet proceeded to Bussora, in
order to enforce some private and public claims advanced by His
Highness against that place. On a report of these circumstances being
made to India, the Government directed that the Imaum should be
allowed to pursue his own course of policy towards Bushire and
Bussora, in the event of our interference not procuring him ample satis­
faction, and further directed that the strictest neutrality should be
maintained by the British authorities on these occasions.
In May 1826, Commodore Christian, the officer commanding the
naval force on the Cape of Good Hope station, addressed a letter to the
Bombay Government, requesting, for certain reasons, that they would
interfere to prevent the Imaum from attacking Mombassa, and, if
possible, induce His Highness to acknowledge the independence of
that island. In a reply, dated September 1826, to the Commodore’s
communication, the Honorable the Governor in Council declined com­
pliance with His Excellency’s request; staling at the same time his
reasons, and recommending that, in the event of the Imaum being
prevented from prosecuting his views upon the place in question by the
Home Authorities, a proper compensation should be afforded. 'Ihe
Commodore was likewise informed that a request would be made to
His Highness to defer all operations until the decision of His Majesty s
Government should be made known. In a subsequent communication,
Commodore Christian intimated the removal of the British establish­
ment from Mombassa, and stated that he did not consider the inhabit
ants of that island to be entitled to British protection. The Briti&
authority in the Gulf of Persia was accordingly instructed to interce
with the Imaum in behalf of the population of the island in question.
In the month of September 1826 His Highness proceeded to cruise