Page 441 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence
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UTT00BEE9.                          397

            slight attention,—indeed employed somewhat threatening language, to
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            urge his observance of perfect neutrality.
              The representations at the same time (January 1843) of the chief
                                  men of his territories at Gutlur, on the main­
                  a. ». 1813.
                                  land, of their inability to defend themselves
            against any attack by Mahomed bin Khaleefa, proved that that chief
            had not abated in his preparations for hostilities, in which he was un­
            doubtedly secretly assisted by the Wahabee ruler, without whose
            connivance or countenance he must certainly have abandoned them.
            The small fort of Meezeer, in Gutlur, fell into the hands of Mahomed
            bin Khaleefa, who, sending his troops, had forestalled those of his oppo­
            nents in its occupation. The latter, on their approach, finding that it
            was  already in his hands, retired, without attempting its recovery. A
            communication was thus established with the colleagues of Kenn.
             Several boats, also, coming over from that island, excited the fears of
             Shaikh Abdoolla bin Ahmed, who for the second time conveyed a
             request (February 1843) to the British authorities, similar in its
             object to his previous one, having reference to the proceedings of Esai
             bin Tarif and Busheer bin Rahinah ; but as, at the same time, reports
             were  received at Bahrein from Kenn by a Muskat boat (which, arriving
             from the head quarters of his enemy, should scarcely have been deemed
             worthy of credit by a discreet and wise chief), that these parties had
             abandoned the objects they had in view, in the belief that the Wahabee
             ruler had withdrawn his aid and countenance from the cause of the
             younger in favour of the elder chief, the communication of these
             reports to Bushire led to the supposition that the necessity for making
             the request* had passed away, and that, consequently, it did not re­
             quire a reply.

               * This request was again implied as requiring reply in the report made subsequently by the
             British Agent of a conversation which passed between himself aud Shaikh Abdoolla bin Ahmed,
             and again conveyed in the Agent’s report of the 23rd of the same month ; and further implied
             in the Shaikh’s letter of the 20th March, when he was informed that there was no other reply
             than that given by the Assistant Resident when he met him.
               These references are here noticed, because the ex-chief pertinaciously but unfoundedly
             attributed his misfortunes to his having been led to consider himself secure from attack by the
             coalesced forces, in consequence of a promise which he alleged to have been made by the
             Assistant Resident when that officer was deputed to Bahrein in November 1842, that hostili­
             ties should not be permitted to commence until his boats aud adherents had returned from
             their trading voyages.
               The following are extracts of a letter from the ex-chief of the 29th December 1843, and
             of Captain Ilennell’s reply of the 30th December, bearing upon this subjectFor instance
             when I told your man Ilajee Jassim that it was my intention to launch my boats, and take the
             initiative with the people of Guttur and Kenn, before they could attack me, he forbade my
             doing so, saying that the English would not permit this. This is known to all the inhabitants
             of Bahrein and Bushire, and every ouc else. When your Assistant came to Bahrein, he told
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