Page 424 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

380 UTTOOBEES.

Uttoobee Buggalow called the Syar, they made an unsuccessful altem
to capture her, and finally returned to Muskat without doin<r anvthi Pt
If, however, they gained no great credit by their conduct on this occasio^
the Bahrein vessels did not distinguish themselves by their su er’ ’
bravery. On their way down the Gulf, they met-a large Bu^aT^
ow,
belonging to their inveterate enemy the Shaikh of Aseeloo, but after
several hours hard fighting were all beaten off, and the
Buggalow
reached her own port in safely. After cruising some time in the
neighbourhood of Muskat, the Bahrein fleet attacked and
captured a
Buggalow belonging to Morbat, a place between Muskat and Mocha,
in no way connected with the Imaum. With this prize they set out on
their return to Bahrein, but when off Cape Moobaruk they were inter­
cepted by two of SyudSaeed’s ships of war. The Uttoobees immediately
ran into shoal water, and placing the Morbat vessel in such a position
as to shelter them from the cannon of the Imaum’s frigates, they first
transferred to their own Buggalow everything on board, and then,
having scuttled and sunk her, they took advantge of the darkness of the
night to alter their course, and, having by this means evaded the
Muskat men-of-war, readied Bahrein shortly after.
During this period, the British authority had been using every exer­
tion to induce the belligerents to settle their quarrel; but the Bahrein
Chief declared he would make no peace that did not receive the
guarantee of the British Government. As this of course was out of the
question, and finding Shaikh Abdoolla deaf to all advice, the Resident
declined interfering any further.
While, however, the correspondence for the termination of hostilities
between Muskat and Bahrein was carrying on, the political authority in
the Gulf was engaged in another discussion with Shaikh Abdoolla bin
Ahmed, which gradually assumed a serious aspect. It will be recol­
lected that when the Bahrein fleet was cruising off Muskat, it captured,
plundered, and destroyed a vessel belonging to Morbat. As this was
considered an act of piracy in every point of view, the captor was
peremptorily called upon to return all his ill-gotten booty,—a demand
which he evaded, on various pretexts, for a considerable period, until
the Resident sent over two vessels of war, and stated explicitly, that if
immediate attention was not paid to his demand for the cargo of the
would be forthwith
captured vessel, strong and unpleasant measures
carried into operation. This menace produced considerable effect:
property to the amount of Rs. 8,000 (being all that was not converted
into cash and distributed) was given up, and a considerable quantity o
goods belonging to people residing in Bahrein restored to the owners.
On this occasion a reference was made by the British authoiity to t
Government, as to whether further proceedings should be adopted to com-