Page 544 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

500 BOO FELASA.

reparation which he persisted in refusing to afford, until coercion \va
employed. He however compelled the return of twenty 0f the
Gubeysat Tribe who had accompanied Bin Asker. The Debaye J3u !
garah, in which these were sent, landed them on the coast near AbocL
thabec, without provisions, and stripped of their arms. As they were
proceeding towards Aboothabee, they observed a Debaye Buggarah
fishing near the shore, and going on board, seized her in retaliation
and prosecuted their journey by sea. Their chief, however, on their
arrival at Aboothabee, deprived them of their capture, and sent it to
the British Agent at Shargah, with a request that it might be delivered
over to the Chief of Debaye, who however in the first instance refused
to receive it, his object being really to have it in his power to urge
some cause of complaint to the Resident against the Beniyas.
In retaliation for a foray upon the cattle of Debaye made by the
Aboothabee men, under the personal command of their chief, some
men of the former, joined by about twenty JBedouins, commenced
to search the Beniyas creeks, but finding nothing, a portion of
their number embarked in a small Buggarah, and discovering one
belonging to Aboothabee, at a place called Inzeerah Sadiat, with three
slaves in her, belonging to the chief of the former place, engaged
in cutting wood, seized the slaves, and whatever property was in the
Buggarah ; then, breaking her up, returned to their homes. This being a
decidedly piratical act, and a breach of the Maritime Truce, Shaikh
Muktoom was held responsible for the amount of the value of the boat
and property, estimated at 200 dollars.
After a repeated evasion of these accumulated just demands upon
him, his port was visited by the squadron, which
a. d. 1841.
II had just completed the object of its mission to
Biddah, by exacting satisfaction from the chief of that place for the
piracies committed by Rugragee’s gang; and he was peremptorily
called upon to pay the sum of 400 dollars, or their equivalent in goods,
valuables, &c., and further to surrender the two Buggarahs, with their
masts, sails, &c. brought over from Aboothabee by Bin Asker. After
some little delay, taken up in frivolous and unavailing excuses, and on
two shells being at a long interval fired over his town, he was induced
to afford compliance.
Shaikh Muktoom obtained permission from the Joasmee Chief to
with a view
erect a fort at Derah, a spot between Shargah and Debaye,
to afford a secure residence to his people, who, leaving only a small
' guard, had entirely deserted their town, in consequence of the sever°
fever which still continued to prevail there, the dreadful mor a
arising from which had prompted them to cross the creev, an ^ow-
their huts on the spot selected for the tower in question. e