Page 444 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

400 UTTOOBEES.

necessary, as the return to their homes of their Guttur subsidiaries
being suddenly called for, in consequence of advantage having been
taken of their absence by the Monasir, an inland Jdedouin Tribe to
plunder their territory, they were deprived of the services of a laUc
proportion of their fighting men. b
Immediately antecedent to the active hostilities which lost Bahrein to
the old chief, a Charrak boat (sailing under the neutral flag of Persia),
into which property just arrived from Bombay, consigned
to two
Banyan merchants of Bahrein, had been transhipped, was plundered
in the harbour of Munama by the men of the Iluwajir and Suloota
Tribes, his dependents. The latter, however, passing over to the side of
the conqueror, and becoming under his control, cast upon him the re­
sponsibility of their act, and the consequent obligation of recovering the
value of the plunder which had fallen to their share. It would have
been objectionable, and in a measure unjust, immediately to have urged
payment upon Mahomed bin Khaieefa, while the contest appeared yet
doubtful, and while, from his fallen slate, and consequent want of means,
as asserted by himself, and moreover from the intangibility of his
position to our naval force, similar redress could not be exacted from
his rival. It was not, therefore, till February in the following year,
when the authority of the former was firmly established, that he was call­
ed upon to restore the value of that portion of the property plundered by
the Suloota, a demand which he acceded to without hesitation.
Abdoolla bin Ahmed commencing a system of annoyance upon the
trade of Bahrein (June 1843), the colleagues despatched several vessels
to blockade Demaum, and restrain his boats within the limits of its
harbour.
The recent contentions between the contending chieftains, and their
present doubtful position, afforded the legitimate Wahabee ruler, Ameer
Fysul, who had now succeeded in re-establishing his authority in Nujd,
the opportunity and pretence for interference; indeed, his aid and
countenance being earnestly solicited by either, he very soon exercised
an important influence in the affairs of the island, and its dependencies
on the opposite Coast of Guttur, with the almost certain prospect of
restoring the payment of the annual tribute, which had not been exacted
since the early days of the rule of his father, Toorkey bin Saood.
It would appear that Fysul had not forgotten nor forgiven his former
disputes and quarrels with the old chief, who had had genera y t e
advantage, and from the first was inclined to favour the cause o t
younger. Much time was spent in negotiations with either, w
their presents and tempting promises, and the yet unstable nature o ^
newly recovered position, rendered it his interest to prolona, an
prevented his immediately taking an active part.

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