Page 176 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

72 ADMINISTRATION' REPORT OF TIIE PERSIAN' GULF

In the second case a Baghdad pedlar was caught smuggling a Mauser rifle with
500 cartridges and 5,000 caps in a box which contained false bottom.
In December 1906 Messrs. Wonckhaus & Co.’s native clerk was found guiltv
by the Joint Court of commissioning a public auctioneer to sell a Mauser rifle and
a miniature ball and shot-gun in the Manama Bazar. He was fined Rs. 100
and both the weapons were confiscated.
From the later confidential reports it seems that the traffic between Bahrain
and the Persian coast is proceeding as merrily as ever.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH.
The Political Agent was engaged in supervising the excavations of the sepul­
chral Tumuli at ’Ali from the 1st October 1900 to the 31st March 1907.
Seven large tombs and 25 small ones were opened at a cost of about Rs. 1,600.
Human skeletons were discovered in every one, as well as large quantities of bones
of animals of all sizes and descriptions, which had evidentlv been slaughtered
sacrificially.
A quantity of earthenware, both fragmentary and entire, a few pieces of
wrought gold and copper, a fragment of an ivory image and some pieces of a
marble plate form the meagre total of the finds. It is believed, however, that the
lesser mounds may still furnish articles of interest, and it is hoped that further
funds may be found available for the continuation of the work next winter.
POLITICAL RESIDENT’S AND ADMIRAL’S VISITS.
Major P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., accompanied His Excellency the Naval Commander-
in-Chief Sir E. Poe to Bahrain on the 16th April 1906. The Chief of Bahrain,
accompanied by the Political Agent, called on His Excellency on board the
R. I. M. S. Lawrence. The Admiral and the Political Resident returned the
Shaikh’s visit the same afternoon at Muharraq, when a salute was duly accorded to
His Excellency. The Commander-in-Chief rejoined his flag-ship H. M. S. Hermes
at the outer anchorage the same evening, and left for Henjam, while Major Cox
left shortly afterwards in the R. I. M. S. Lawrence for Bushire.
The Political Resident returned to Bahrain on the 27th April 1906 and landed
at the Agency. He left with the Political Agent for Katar on the 1st May.
After visiting and landing at Lusail, Doha, Wakra and Odaid, Major Cox left the
Lawrence at Sharga, and returned the Political Agent in that vessel to Bahrain,
which was reached on the 8th May.
On the 8th November 1906 Major Cox called at Bahrain, having Messrs.
Somers Cocks, C.M.G., L. G. Fraser, C.I.E., and W. H. Shakespear on board.
The customary visits were exchanged with the Shaikh on the following day.
A Sanad conferring the title of Khan Sahib was publicly presented to the re­
tired Agency Munshi, Haji Abbas, and the Victoria Memorial Charitable Hospital
was declared formally open. In the afternoon a visit was paid to the Tumuli at
’Ali. The Political Resident left for Koweit on the 10th November.

NAVY.
In consequence of the renewed activity of the pirate Ahmad bin Salman,
Bahrain was favoured with the presence of a gun-boat for more than half the deep-
sea pearling season. H. M. S. Lapwing came first on the 17th July 1906,
but was soon relieved by H. M. S. Redbreast which finally left the neighbour­
hood of the islands on the 27th September 1906.
In the course of this visit Lieutenant Commander Hose of the latter vessel made
a cruise amongst the pearl-banks of Katar and Oman for the purpose of charting
the position of the more important banks.
On the 16th November 1906 H. M. S. Spliink visited the islands in con­
nection partly with the suspected smuggling of arms, and on the 26th^ovcnime
her Commander proceeded to survey the approaches to Katif from Bahrain,
vessel eventually returned to Bushirc on the 3rd December 1906.