Page 389 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

JO ASM EES. 345

Such consent was evidently quite sufficient grounds for relinquishing
the demand made on the part of Government, the office and duty of a
guarantee being to prevent one party from neglecting, while the other
fulfils, the obligations imposed by the compact, and not to interfere
should they mutually determine to annul the same; and the object of
impressing the Maritime Arab Chiefs with the conviction that the breach
of an engagement, entered into through the mediation of the British
Government, would never be passed over, having been fully gained, it
was a matter of the greatest satisfaction that this long pending dispute
was now fully terminated, to the apparent satisfaction of both parties,
without the exercise or even demonstration of actual force, and without
any loss of credit on the part of the British Government.
A Debaye Kafila having in November 1S43 been plundered by some
of the Beni Ghuflah, Shaikh Muktoom, in retaliation, made a sudden
foray into the lands belonging to that tribe, and to the Chiefs of Brymee,
and carried off a large number of camels and other cattle, whereby
he gave great umbrage to the Joasmee Chief, Sultan bin Suggur, who
at the time determined to come to an open rupture with the Debaye
Chief, and compel him to restore the plunder. Wiser councils, however,
prevailed (the fear of Muktoom’s attaching himself more closely to the
Beniyas Chief, which would have thrown the balance of power into
the hands of the latter, and have proved highly prejudicial to his
interests, having its due weight); and in disgust at Shaikh Sultan’s
change of determination, which deprived them of their revenge, the
Chiefs of Brymee (Beni Ghuflah) threatened on their side to submit to
Shaikh Khaleefa bin Shakboot of Aboothabee, and actually commenced
aggressions upon their former ally. The death of an inhabitant of
Shargah by the hand of the brother of Shaikh Muktoom, notwitstanding
that the payment of the Deeah or price of blood was immediately
tendered by the latter, had nearly brought things to a crisis. The
Joasmee Chief’s conduct at least embittered the feud between his
uncontrollable but in a measure dependent allies. A smart action took
place, inland, between the Beni Ghuflah and Muktoom, in which the
former were worsted, with the loss of several men killed on both sides.
The Debaye Chief paid somewhat dearly for the victory, having him­
self received several wounds, one of which caused him the loss of
an eye.
Shaikh Sultan bin Suggur now (July 1844) exerted himself to effect
a reconciliation with the inland Bedouins; but
a. d. 1844.
his attempts having been unsuccessful, he was
about to despatch a person to Aboothabee to sound Shaikh Khaleefa bin
Shakboot, the Beniyas Chief, touching his inclination to receive
proposals for a treaty of peace. In the event of a favourable reply, the