Page 265 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND TFIE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1007.1900. 81
jealousy and bitterness against Mir Barkot for refusing to share the profits of
the undertaking with them.
Mir Mustafa Khan, Chief of the Jask district, at the beginning of the
Mas inclined to accept the tempting bribes ofFored by the Afghans,
8008011
but lie was made to reulise his duty as a subsidised Chief, and is not believed
to have been personally implicated to any serious extent with the arms traffic.
No doubt, Mir Barkat engaged many boats belonging to subjects of Mir
Mustapha's disirict, but this could hardly have been prevented as the former
has a considerable amount of influence in the Jask district, and Mir Mustapha
Khan lias very little, if any, control over him.
This season there is a prodigious increase in the number of rifles imported
by Afghans, the estimated number reaching nearly 17,000. Moreover more
than three million rounds of ammunition and about 2,000 Mauser and Brown­
ing automatic pistols, are believed to have been imported in addition to the
rifles, and judging by the large numbers of Afghans now engaged in the
traffic it would seem that the undertaking is rather more than a commercial
enterprise, as was formerly supposed.
On the 26th March 1903 II. M. S. JProserpine while cruising off Bunji
narrowly missed capturing a dhow carry­
Captures.
ing a consignment of arms.
“While the Proserpine was searching what proved to bo a fishing boat,
another dhow was observed to be making for the beach near Bunji. The
dhow was able to get out of sight round Kuh Mubarak point, where her cargo
was thrown into the sea, close to the beach, in about 10 feet of water and on
being subs^qu* ntly overhauled by the Proserpine she was found to he empty.
The case was suspicious and Captain li. W. James decided to capture the
dhow and koep her until evidence of her complicity in the arms traffic was
obtainable. Confirming evidence of this particular dhow having jettisoned
her cargo of arms came to hand on the 29th March 1908, and the dhow was
burnt at Jask on the same day by ordor of the Senior Naval Officer in the
Persian Gulf.
It w»s reported that 844 rifles belonging to this consignment were subse­
quently recovered by the Afghans assisted by Mir Barkat’s men and local
divers, but it is uncertain whether the consignment originally consisted of
1,000 or more rifles, or whether any ammunition was lost. Acting on infoima-
tion received from Bunji, while cruising off Bunji on the morning of the
18th April, H. M. S, Proserpine captured dhow containing 1,500 riflea
and 250,000 rounds of ammunition. This wns the only capture of a boat
complete with its crew and contents made during the season.
A landing party from H. M. S. Proserpine met with an unfortunale accident
at the same spot the following day. Three
British casualties.
boats were sent from the ship to search
a dhow, which was hauled up on the beach, and had actually landed rifles the
previous evening. On attempting to reach the shore from these boats the party
met with a very heavy rifle fire from some 2C0 Afghans, who were ambushed
among sand hills quite clrse to the bench. As they retired to their boats at
the s;ime time returning the fire, unfortunately their maxim jammed, and if
their retreat had not been covered by a very heavy shell fire from H. M. 8.
Proserpine it is probable that a good many casualties w ould have resulted.
As it was two of the Proset pine's bluejackets received mortal wounds and
were buiied at Jask.
Careful enquiries were made by Mr. New as to the damage done by
H. M. S. Proserpine's shell fire and as far as he could ascertain onl y one
camel, belonging to the Afghans was killed and the top of a hut was blown
off. The ground near the beach at Bunii is composed of sand-dunes running
in ridges parallel to the beach which afford excellent cover, and this would
aocount for tho little damage dose to the enemy.
From local information received regarding the incident it appears that a
body of some fifty Afghans were ambushed directly opposite the spot where the
ship's party landed, while the remainder were in extended order on both sides,,
covering about 500 yards of coast lino. Their intention was to allow all the