Page 417 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

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UTTOOBEES. 373

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British authorities that the report was without foundation, and entered
into an agreement with Captain Lock, by which he bound himself down
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to prevent the sale of captured British property in his territory,—to
which engagement it appears, however, from subsequent accounts, he did
not pay the slightest attention. At Captain Lock’s request, he opened
a communication with Hussein bin Rahmah, the Chief of Ras-ool-
Khyma, offering on the part of the British Government the release of a
number of Joasmee prisoners, in exchange for several females who had
been captured by the pirates. This proposal was finally agreed to, and
seventeen Indian women were thus restored to liberty.
On the 17th January 1820, after the capture of Ras-ool-Khyma, and
the destruction of the Joasmee fleet, by the
a. d. 1820.
expedition under Sir W. G. Keir, the Shaikh of
Bahrein delivered up the vessels belonging to the piratical powers
which were in his harbour, to Captain Lock, of His Majesty’s ship Eden,
for the purpose of being destroyed ; and at the same time entered into
an agreement not to admit any boats of the above description into his
port until permitted by the British Government. The General Treaty
between the British Government and the Arabian Chiefs, negotiated by
General Keir, was first signed in Ras-ool-Khyma by the Vukeel of the
Uttoobee Shaikhs, and subsequently by themselves in Bahrein.
Influenced, probably, by the general impression conveyed by the
success of the British troops, and the increased degree of confidence
acquired by the Imaum from his co-operation with them, the A1 Kha-
leefa (Shaikhs of Bahrein) deemed it prudent to take measures to avert
the attack preparing by His Highness, in conjunction with the Prince of
Shiraz, against their island. They accordingly sent an Agent to
Muskat, who concluded an agreement, by which they bound them­
selves to pay His Highness 30,000 German crowns per annum; both
parties, however, stipulating for the guarantee of the British Govern­
ment, which does not appear to have been afforded. In return, His
Highness engaged to release some of the Uttoobee Shaikhs detained by
him, and restore all the vessels and property, belonging to Bahrein,
which he had put under an embargo, on their way up from India. Of
this tribute the sum of 12,000 crowns was subsequently remitted.
In April 1822, an Agent of the Bahrein Chief made a verbal request,
on the part of his superiors, that the British
a. d. 1822.
Government would mediate an adjustment of
the dispute between them and Rahmah bin Jaubir, on the principle
of status quo ante helium. This was acceded to, and instructions to the
effect were issued to the Resident at Bushire, with a strict reservation,
however, that the Government was not to be pledged in any way to
enforce the fulfilment of the conditions. Shortly after Shaikh Abdoolla