Page 436 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

392
UTTOOBEES.
the delinquents stated that they had only taken such portion of the
cargo of the' Lmgah boat as had been regularly agreed upon as salvage
it was arranged that the value of the property claimed should be lodged
m the hands of the British Agenl, until the claim for salvage should be
substantiated by oath of Zun Tulaak, in the presence of the Native Agent
which having been done according to form before the Kazce, the
money
was returned.
The authority of the old Shaikh being now openly defied by his sons,
who had each from one to three hundred followers, ready to commit
any act of violence or aggression at the bidding of their leaders, the
island became rapidly the scene of increased anarchy and confusion:
as a natural consequence, the trade had diminished to nearly one-half
within the last few years.
At this time (April 1842) Ameer Khalid came from Demaum to Khor
I-Iassan, to meet Shaikh Abdoolla, who treated
a. d. 18-12.
him with great respect, and led him to hope that
he would assist him in the recovery of Kateef to the utmost in his
power. After visiting Mahomed bin Khaleefa at Bahrein, the ex-
Wahabee ruler returned to Demaum.
The Bahrein Chief, however, if he ever entertained such an intention,
had already too much on his own hands to admit of his acting up to his
promise, for the serious dissensions in his own family, as about to
be detailed, had reached to such a pitch as to demand his utmost
attention.
The immediate and ostensible cause of the present open rupture
originated in the opposition offered to the marriage of Ahmed, the son
of Abdoolla bin Ahmed, with a young girl, the daughter of one Abdool
Rahman bin Rashid. The suitors respectively threatened to possess
her by force,* when her guardian, Moobaruk bin Khaleefa, appealing
to their mutual relation, Mahomed bin Khaleefa, against the injustice
and disgrace of permitting such a violation, he having already selected
one from his own family to be her husband (Mahomed bin Moojarrin
bin Fail), angry discussions and threats were produced, and the efforts
of the old chief, who came over from Khor Hassan for the purpose,
failing to effect an amicable arrangement, both parties began to collect
troops, calling in principally the ignorant but warlike Bedouins from
the mainlahd, themselves in no way interested in the quarrel, and led
on so lely by the prospect of emolument and plunder.
* The damsel on whose account so much disagreement had arisen resided at Muharag,
and was on the commencement of hostilities at the mercy of her wou Qe ^er
moreover consenting, might without immediate opposition have P°ssesse ^ the contest
person $ but as the real ground of the dispute had no reference wha ev J
did not cease with her possession.