Page 402 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence
P. 402

358                           JOASMEES.

                      dated 11th November 1852, some three months after the order had
                      reached its destination, when he heard that some
                                                                              money exacted
                      from Shaikh Syud bin Butye, for some
                      . .                                       people of his, who had been
                      injured at sea, had been paid to the sufferers, and not to himself. Again
                      so late as the month of August in the ensuing year, Hajee Yacoob
                      complained of the unfriendliness shown him by the Joasmee, in
                                                                                       conse-
                      quence of monies, exacted as compensation for irregularities at
                                                                                          sea,
                      “ being paid to the individuals aggrieved” in lieu of himself.
                         During the absence of Shaikh Syud bin Butye, the Chief of the Boo
                      Felasa, from his post, at IVIuskat, to which port he had repaired   on a
                      visit to His Highness the Imaum, Shaikh Sultan bin Suggur supported
                      the pretensions of the sons of the late Muktoom, who dared to aspire to
                      the chiefship. His intrigues, however, were not attended with much
                      success. He contrived, it is true, to bribe and entice Syud bin
                      Maanaul Moheyree to quit Debaye with his tribe, and settle at Shargah,
                      but all his endeavours in behalf of the youthful heirs to the chiefship
                      were utterly frustrated by an alliance, offensive and defensive, that  was
                      suddenly concluded, on the 17th December 1852, between Shaikh Syud
                      bin Butye and the Chiefs of the Beniyas and Amulgavine Tribes.
                        There remains but to notice the part that was played by the Joasmee
                      during the complications that arose in the spring of 1853, between the
                      Wahabee and Muskat authorities. The course pursued by Shaikh
                     Sultan was as objectionable as ever. He hastened to wait upon
                     Abdoolla bin Fysul, so soon as he heard of his arrival at Brymee ; he
                     strove all in his power to prevent the conclusion of a peaceable arrange­
                     ment between the contending parties; though made aware that the
                     Resident had arrived off the coast for the purpose of meeting him, he
                     manifested no inclination to return to his seat and wait upon him, but
                     “ proposed to make up for his absence by appointing certain deputies
                     to communicate with Captain Kemball in his stead,”—deputies whom,
                     there was every reason to suppose, he had not “ vested with powers
                     to conclude any definitive arrangement,, ; he strongly counselled an
                                                                                                         i
                     immediate march upon the Batinah districts; he pointed out the                      :
                     defenceless condition they were in; and he succeeded in raising himself
                     to the highest favour in the eyes of the Wahabee commander.
                       His counsels, his plans, beyond those of the rest of the chiefs, one             1
                     and all were agreeable to the wishes and desires of Abdoolla bin Fysul;
                     and considering that a day had been fixed (so said Shaikh Syud bin
                     Tahnoon) for the march of the coalesced forces on         the Imaunrs
                     dominions, matters might indeed have proved serious, had not     a com-
                    bination of circumstances conspired to damp the ardour of both Joasmoe
                                                                  The project of an invasion
                     and Wahabee for a recourse to hostilities.









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