Page 463 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

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419
UTTOOBEES.

and welfare,—a letter, in fact, one tissue of falsehoods,—neither more
blind and mislead the understanding of the self-
nor less than a ruse to
sufficient Shaikh Mahomed bin Khaleefa.
These attacks upon Bahrein independence were duly represented to
the Political Agent in Turkish Arabia, who wrote in reply that Meerza
Abdool Jabbur (Persian Consul at Bagdad), in perfect ignorance of the
relations exisling between the ruler of Bahrein and the British Govern­
ment, had thought it a clear matter of duty on his part to do all in his
■
power to further the views of Abdoolla bin Ahmed, who, from the day
of his downfall, had been treated with so much consideration and
respect by the Persian Government, but that now he was aware of the
interest taken in Bahrein by the British State, he would abstain from
further interference with the affairs of the island. Not many months
after this had occurred, Shaikh Mahomed bin Khaleefa himself expressed
a wish to the Resident that Bahrein should be taken under British
protection. The Resident, who had been called upon to give his
opinion as to the advisability or otherwise of entering into an alliance
I
with the rulers of that island, had in the outset inclined against the
measure; but the spontaneous offer of allegiance now preferred by
Shaikh Mahomed bin Khaleefa, combined with other circumstances, led
that officer to alter his opinion, and to recommend the immediate
acceptance of the proffer made by the chief. After much considera­
tion, however, the Government of India, considering it inexpedient to
make any alteration in the character of the relations then subsisting
between the British Government and the Chief of Bahrein, and the
Home Government concurring in that view, the Resident at Bushire
was in September 1849 directed to decline the offer of the Chief of
Bahrein, assuring him at the same time of the continuance of the good
will and friendship of the British Government. In this wise termi­
nated the long discussion, protracted over a period of more than
two years, respecting the proposed alliance with the Shaikh of
Bahrein.
A few occurrences worthy of notice have been of necessity passed
over during the relation of other matters that engrossed our attention,
and must be briefly described ere passing on to the consideration of
future events.
At the latter end of the preceding year, Shaikh Mahomed bin
Khalecfa made an unsuccessful attempt to induce the Shaikh of Charrak
to expel from Kenn the Bahrein fugitives who had taken refuge on that
island. He also behaved most improperly in the matter of one
Khaleefa, of the Gubeysat Tribe, who committed a number of piracies —
amongst others, one upon a vessel belonging to his own dependents’—
and who, although detained by the Shaikh for a time, at the instan *
ce of