Page 212 - Records of Bahrain (1) (i)_Neat

202 Records oj Bahrain

10G Port V—Chap. XXVI,

. (Ill) DESIGNS OE PERSIA AND MASK.AT ON RAII11EIN.

227. After reporting'tho facts detailed above, Sir'William Grant Koir
Volume 52—49 of 1820-1821, pago 159. added
27. X am inclined to believe that tho Porsiau Government bavo long been desirous of
obtaining possession of the Island of Bahrein under an impression of its great riches and
resources, which nro considered (o arieo principally from tho ponrl fishory,
28. Ilis Highness tho Imam of Maslcut informs mo that ho had ropoatedly urged that
Government to uudertaho a joint expedition for tho pnrposo of placing him in possession of
this island, and that ho had agreed lo supply ships and vessels for tho purpose of transporting
their united nrraies noross the Gulf. His Highness w;ik solicited about two moutliB ago by
the Princo of Shiraz to prepare his ships, but ho replied that ho was thou engaged* with
tho British Govornmont in tho suppression of piracy, and that his ships oonscquonlly could not
bo spared. Tho Imam might havo given his roply from having been disappointed by tho
l’orsian Government for tho two last seasons whon tho promised army had not bcou oquipped,
yot I still think that tho army now said to be marching towards the coast has been mowed
undor an expectation that tho Imam will be iuduccd to transport it to Bahrein ; at all events
this will be the ostensible nud alleged reason of tho movement, although tho real onuses of it
may. bo tho jealousy oxoited by thoknowlcdgo of His Highness’s dcsiro to repossess himsolf of
this island, aud tho proximity of a British army with whioh Ilia Ilighuops is in striot
co-oporation.
29. By the mc6scngor nbovo mentioned the Imam has received a second application for
his ships j to this ho has ropliod that if tho Princo of Shiraz would pledge on oath not again to
docoive him respecting tho promised army, and likcwhio to reimburso his expenses, ho will
proccod accordingly to wherovor tho army may bo assembled.
30. The Imam has begged to know whether I sco any objections to tho employment of
his ships in tho conveyance of the Persian army, but I have declined to give any direct reply
to this question, under tho plea that my instructions do not relate to this poiut.
31. It may possibly have occurred to His Highness the Imam that tho present is a
favourable moment for making an independent attack on Bahrein, as although lie might not
be able to induco the British Government to join with him in this undertaking, ho would at
least enjoy the advantages arising from a British forco being in the Gulf, a circumstance that
would prevont tho Bahreinese from being joined by allies who might otherwise assist them,
although now overawed by the intimato allianco known to subsist betwixt His Highness and
tho British Government.
32. In the 8th paragraph of your letter of the 27th of October the Island of Bahrein is
mentioned as ono of the places where property obtained piracticidly was disposed of. Subse­
quent information on this head has tomlcd to conlirm the belief that it was even tho principal
channel through which the pirates wore uuablc to convert into monoy tho valuable merchandize*
which they captured.
33. Information having reached Captain Prucc that ton piratical vessels bad takon refuge
at this island, His Majo-ty's ships Itdcn and Cnibia aud tho Ilouourablo Company’s cruiser
vessel were despatched by Captain Collier three days ago for the purpose of domanding tho
surrender of these boats.
34-. The Army of His Highness the Imamud of Maskat alluded to in my despatch of tho
10th ultimo, arrived two days after the fall 0* Ras-nl-Khiina, but ns its presence hud become
unnecessary from thn termination of our military operations before this place provious to it6
arrival, and as tho strongest roiigious and other prejudices existed betwixt it and the inha­
bitants of this neighbourhood which precluded nil hope of tho minds of tho pcoplo becoming
settled aud reconciled to what hud occurred, whilst this Army should remain, I requested that
His Highness would direct its return to his own territories beyond the mountains, a fhort
distanco from hence, and this movement was mado accordingly.