Page 22 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

12 ADMINISTRATION BE TORT ON THE PERSIAN GULP POLITIOAL
IX.—Bahrein. The position in Bahrein is still one of considerable difficulty. As was
anticipated in lost year’s report Sheikh
Ali bin Ahmed, the Sheikh’s troublesomo
nephew, who absconded to escape arrest on the presentation of the Govern­
ment of India’s ultimatum to Sheikh Esa, soon got tirod of Bedouin life in
Katar and surrendered himself to the Political Agent on the 18th July. He
was indue course deported in H.M.S. Sphinx to Bombay where he novr resides
ou an allowance of B600 per mensem.
From a local point of view it would have been convonient if the Customs
of Manama could have been assumed as
Ca atoms.
a part of the operations sanctioned for the
bringing of the Sheikh to his bearings; hut it was thought that the lesson
given him would have resulted in his being more tractable in future and in
his accepting the advice of Government in regard to this important matter
among others. Such has not been the case, however, and he still shows a most
determined resolve not to be induced even by the most profitable offers to
place his administration on more civilised lines, although confronted by a
large increase in the volume of Bahrein trade, from which under present
system he derives no personal advantage.
In October 1905 Sheikh Esa, tutored no doubt by some intriguer, probably
Monsieur Goguyer of Maskat, who had
Sbeilb Eefc-# memorial to Gorermnfnt.
lately been at Bahrein, addressed a
memorial to His Excellency the Viceroy and His Majesty’s Secretary of State
for India through Messrs. Kynoch & Co., the Small Arms dealers of
Birmingham, who are among the Firms participating in the arms traffic to
the Gulf. In this document he set forth a number of grievances complain­
ing specially of the appointment by the Government of India of a British
Officer to represent them at Bahrein; of being debarred from participation in
the profits of the arms traffic; &uu of other alleged hardships suffered at the
hands of Government and its officers. These complaints were mostly ill-
fooorisd and on)v served to show the invetcrate intractability of the Sheikh
and his disinclination to shape his conduct or bis administration conformably
to the views and principles of the Government of India. The latter, however,
made it clear in him that they were not the least inclined to tolerate any
further signs of disaffection from him, and as the year progressed he showed
more inciinitrc-G to be friendly and to listen in ordinary matters to his Poli­
tical Agent’s advice, always excepting the matter of his Customs adminis­
tration.
It is regrettable to find much mortality among the members of the
American Mission at Bahrein, on whose
laroa Ifaacg.
small community death seems to levy a
regular annual toll probably connected with the sanitary defects in the
premises in the native town which they occupy.
Piracy unfortunately was recrudescent, and the notorious offender Ahmed
bin Salman again brought himself into
limy.
unpleasant notoriety. Owing to the
shallowness and intricacy of the waters lying between the pearl bankB and the
mainland it is impossible for His Majesty’s ships to deal effectively with the
evil, and failing the use of armed dhows, the only practicable means of
copirjg with it wfll probably be found in the employment of a large steam
launch of light draft, with a smaller craft in tow for use in very shallow water.
Apart from the depredations of Ahmed bin Salman, the people of Abu
Bhaiui were accused by the crew of a Persian dhow of having looted them
driven ashore by stress of wind. As a precisely similar offence was brought
WT1
Ob to the charge of the natives of Abu Dhaluf in 1893 the probability is that the
present accusation is well founded; but the details are still under the considera­
tion of Government.
is a
Sheikh Ahmed-bin-Thani’s death, alluded to by Captain Prideaux,
matter iot regret as he was disposed *
of Sbeiicb
friendly and was formerly a f311
active British support in return for his good offices in preserving the naa