Page 364 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

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JOASMEES.
In April 1828, Ras-ool-Khym a was v*s*ted by the British authority in

a. d. 1828. the Gulf of Persia, who thus speaks of its stale
at that time :—“ A square tower, of no great
strength, has been built
on the mound raised by the ruins of the strong
outwork destroyed after the siege in 1819. A straight stone wall nearly
connects one side of the town with the backwater or harbour, but as
yet there are no defences towards the sea, excepting two old guns. The
ruins of the old walls and towers serve as stone quarries, and the town
of Ras-ool-Khyma is rapidly increasing. The houses arc of stone and
chunam, and, although small, are carefully built, and remarkably neat,
oven with some finish. Building is yet very cheap, from the old mate-
rials being so close at hand ; and Shaikh Sultan is said to encourage it.”
About this time, when a profound peace had happily extended itself
over every part of the Persian Gulf, the commercial inhabitants were
thrown into considerable alarm, in consequence of a very daring and
atrocious piracy being committed by a man named Mooslim bin Rashid
(an inhabitant of Ras-ool-Khyma), upon a boat from Sohar, on the Coast
of Batinah. This vessel, after being plundered of cargo to the value of
three or four thousand rupees, and the whole of her crew, fourteen in
number, being tied to a grapnel 1, and thrown overboard, was scuttled,
and sunk. The pirate Buteel, after selling portions of the plunder, was
met off Lingah by a Buggalow which Shaikh Sultan (alarmed at the
probable consequences of this infamous proceeding, and the strong
remonstrance addressed to him) had sent in pursuit. A sharp action
ensued, which terminated by the Buteel being run on shore at Lingah,
and Mooslim bin Rashid, together with the greater part of his crew,
made prisoners, and carried off to Ras-ool-Khyma. Shortly afterwards,
Shaikh Sultan having assembled the heads of tribes, laid the affair
before them, and at the same time mentioned his fears of being brought
to a severe reckoning by the British Government. In consequence, it
was unanimously resolved that Mooslim bin Rashid should be put to
death : he was accordingly taken out of his prison during the night by
four of Shaikh Sultan’s slaves, and, having been conveyed to the sea
beach, was there strangled, and buried ; declaring, however, with his
dying breath, that the piracy had been committed under the knowledge
and approbation of the Joasmee Shaikh, who, he further stated had even
a document in writing to that effect, which he had lost when
given him
his Buteel was captured.
The rest of the crew were kept in close confinement for several
months; but were subsequently set at liberty with the consent of His
Highness the Imaum, to whom the pirate vessel, together with all
plundered cargo recovered, had been given up.

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