Page 535 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

BENIYAS. 491

have succeeded, for the son of the Sohar Chief, owing to a misunder­
standing between himself and the Beniyas, was suddenly expelled the
fort of Brymee, and thus was Shaikh Syud bin Tahnoon left to contend
single-handed against the formidable league about to be arranged
against him. No way daunted, however, and fearful for nothing, he
proved for a length of time more than a match for the whole of his
enemies. He fought and shamefully discomfited a considerable Nujdee
force that was sent to annihilate him ; he forced the proud and not
unskilful Syud bin Mootluk to flee for protection to Shargah; he
showed himself ready to confront the combined forces of the Nujdee,
Joasmee, Debaye, and Ejman Chiefs; he experienced but one reverse,
and that but a slight one ; when, finding he was not likely to receive
the succours promised by the Muskat Government, he gave ear to the
voice of a mediator, who had been sent by the Sherreeff of Mecca to
conciliate the contending parties.
A peace was concluded in February 1349, by the terms of which
“ the Brymee forts were restored to Syud bin
a. d. 1849.
Mootluk, all that had passed was to be buried
in oblivion, and all parties were to return to the status quo ante
helium”
Judging from the subsequent movements of Shaikh Syud, however,
it does not appear that he had any intention of remaining satisfied
with the settlement that had thus been effected. Peace, it is true, was
concluded ; but his visit to Shinas and Muskat, which occurred some
few months later in the season, was supposed to have been for the sole
purpose of conferring with Syf bin Kahtan and His Excellency Syud
Soweynee on the subject of what could be done against the Wahabees.
The plans that were concerted, the complications that ensued,* and
the result of those plans and complications, will be learned in the sequel.
Before prosecuting, however, this part of the narrative, it is necessary
that we should accompany Shaikh Syud home to Aboothabee, and
watch his proceedings on arrival.
The year had well nigh drawn to a close when Shaikh Syud reached
his seat, and found, to his great disgust, that “ on the termination of the
pearl fishery, all the boats of the Gubeysat Tribe, that should have
returned to Aboothabee in October, had proceeded to the Guttur Coast,
and sought an asylum at Biddah.”
The Gubeysat Tribe originally dwelt at Aboothabee, and there
continued to reside until the year 1836, when the piratical acts of
the subjects of the Beniyas Chief leading the British Government to
demand payment of considerable sums of money, by way of compensa-
* The complications are detailed more fully in the Sketch of Muskat than in any of the
others. J