Page 201 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1907 1908. 17

but neither course bore fruit M* anwbilo the Sin ikh i f Kowoit addressed the
Rcdri'-ncy urging that, if the Briti>h authorities were not prepared to arrange
for tbe extermination of this notorious family themselves, they should permit
him to send out an armed dhow lor tho purpose, and generally for protection
of Koweit craft at sea at. the bond of ibe Gulf. Por several rea>ons Govern­
ment considered tl at. this pioposal must he negatived ; at the same time they
held that it was incumbent upon tin m to see that, other steps were taken to
deal with the gang, and decided tjiat. the Persian Government should bo
informed that, failing compliance with our reasonable den ands, His Majesty’s
Government, would instiuct their own ships to do tbe necessary. There being
no result from this communication ll.'M.S Highflyer, Captain C. 11. Hickloy,
was sent up from Bombay at tbe end of November with orders to endeavour io
capture the pirates at. sen. I n order to co-operate with the Na\al authorities
the Resident proceeded in H M.S. Sphinx to join Captain Hickley on tho
Highflyer at lien jam, and reliable informers having been obtained through tho
Residency Agent at Lingah, the latter was sent in a native boat to Daur to
obtaiu fresh iniormation of the pirates’ whereabouts and tho services of persons
who could recognise them if met with. It appeared from the Agent’s inquiries,
very skilfully carried out, that the pirates lmd just migiatcd with their families
to the jurisdiction of Bunder Rig north of Bushirc, the Khan of which ])lace,
as a condition of their remaining, bavin? taken a plediie from them that they
would conduct themselves as peaceahlo members of tlm community. His
concurrence secured the outlaws Ganawa as their place of abode, a hamlet 10
miles nerth of Bunder Rig, where they bad b< cu seen a few days before by one
of our informers. EM S. Highflyer and Sphinx thereupon proceeded to
Bunder Rig. On the way thither Captain Hickley, Commander Litchfield and
the Resident conferred as to the best line of action to he adopted. Owing to
the waters off the c«>ast in question being extremely shoal it was decided that
the only chance of capturing the pirates was through the co-operation of the
Khan of Bunder Rig, which could Lest be induced by a threat of the imme­
diate bombaidment of his fort if lie did not foithwith hand the pirates over or
assist us in their capture.
Bunder Rig boing on the telegraph line it was anticipated that on our
makinz any demand on him the Khan would attempt to gain time in order to
telegraph tor instructions from Rush ire, but the solemn threats of the Naval
Commanders had the desired effect, and the. Khan was sufficiently overawed to
arrange with Captain Hickley that he himself would ride off to Ganawa imme­
diately and endeavour to capture the brothers, and that, if successful he would
hoist a flag on the fortlet of the village, on which signal H.M.S. Highflyer and
Sphi> x were to close upon Ganawa and land a party to take over the prisoners.
The Khan being made to understand thoroughly that by co-operation he would
earn the good-will of the British authorities while any duplicity on his part
would be rewarded with immediate retribution, fortunately rose to the occasion
and the plan succeeded admirably. LI is passage along the coast to Gauawa
was watched with much interest from the ships in tbe ofling and in due course
a red flag appeared over tho Ganawa fort. An lour or so later a landing was
effected by an armed party from iho ships including thtir Commanders and tho
Resident, and it was found that the Khan had succeeded in capturing two
of the brothers, Abdulla, and Adhibi, alias lbiahim. The third brother
Abdul Reza bad unfortunately not been in bis bouse when the Khan and his
men arrived and, hearing that two of his brothers bad been arrested, bad
disappeared inland. As it was just getting dusk at tbe time bo was able to get
clear away.
Their dhow, however, which was lying in the creek preparing for sea, was
seized and taken to Bushirc together with the pirates themselves.
Having got the men it remained to be decided what was to bo done with
them. The Resident was strongly of opinion that if they were handed over to
tho Bushirc authorities for trial, there was great risk of their being allowed to
escape, or of a failure of justice in tho corrupt Persian tribunals, and as the sons
of 11 unmidi were originally Muhaisin Aiabs, and subjects of the Sheikh of
Mobammerah, who had himself had one of the family in prison for __
some
years and had expelled the others from his territory for piratical conduct in the