Page 215 - Records of Bahrain (1) (i)_Neat

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The General Treaty with Britain, 1820 205
120 I»nrt V-Cbap. XXVIII.
8. Tlio accompanying; ia a translation of a letter from Ilia Highness tho Imam of
Manlcntjn translation of hie prop^sod agreement with the Ulubia of Bahrein alluded to
iu his lottcr is also transmitted, ns well ns n copy of my roply to Mis Highness.
9. I now beg to refor to tho letter from tho Imam which accompanied my despatch of
the 2<lth of February ns woll as to tho remarks iu tho 15th, 10th and 17th paragraphs of that
despatch. Tho difforenoo iu tho tono of Ilis Ilighncss'a communication now forwarded,
and the profession of hia great desire "to net iu stiiot conformity to my wishes ” was
probably occasioned by his distrusting, not without reason certainly, tho professions of tho
I'riucc of Shiraz rsspeoting Ilis llnynl Highness's nrmy being about to aid in tho Bnhroin
expedition. Tho proparatious for this oxpadiiinn have, for thoso last two or threo years,
bcon mado uso of by tho Priuco of Shiraz, as an oxcuso for lovying oxactions of a most
opprosnvo nature from many of tho Sheikhs and other inhabitants of.tho Persian const of tho
Gulf, by which much distress has bcon occasioned and tho minds of all ke*pb in a most
harassing stato of alarm nud doubt; this has interrupted nil tho industrious pursuits that
under duo oucourngcraout would toud materially to maintnin tho pence of tbo Gulf. It is,
thoroforo, much to bo dosired that some decided steps should bo takon to set tho conflicting
claims ngninst tho Utubis of Bnhroiu permanently at rest.
10. liy the latest nocounts received tho day boforo I left Bushiro, tho Princo of Shiraz
had loft tho sea const, and was on his roturn to Shiraz, having, 1 understood, intimated that
ho had abandoned all intoutiou of proccodiug this year against Bahrein. Tho Imam of
Mnsknt, who had reached the Island of Kism with his ships and boats, iu conformity to his
ngrocment with tho Princo, will thus again bnvo been deceived by His Royal Highness, who
appears to havo a mean opinion of tho Imam's pnuctr.ition and judgment, and I understand
that tho Shiraz Govornmont calculates upon deceiving tho Imam at all times when it may
be convenient for it to do so. The Imam will probably roturn to Mnsknt without boing able
to effect anything dcoisivo against tho Bahreiu Govornmont; this will, l trust, nfford time for
urging tho mediation contomplatod in tho Houourablo the Governor’s letlor of tbo 15th of
December to Mr. Willock.
11. As oonnectod with this subject I transmit a translation of a communication made
to tho Sheikhs of Bahrein according to tho spirit of tho dospatoh of tho Govornor iu Council
to the Govornor-Gcnornl, dated tho 15th of December, and I beg leave to stale that tho
ratification of tliORO Sheikhs has boon received to the preliminary treaty mentioned in tho
14111 paragraph of my despatch of tho 7th of February, as having boon cutorcd into by
their Vakil. Their ratification of tho “ General Treaty with the Arab tribes” extended to
them at tho samo timo has also been received.
12. I now transmit ono of thn original copies of tho " Goncral Treaty” liuving tho
autograph signatures of tbo different Chioftnins. As tho ChiMftnins of Imam and Am-ul-
Gywyn npponred to enjoy a certain degroc of indcpcndonco of Sultan bin Sagger, I oonccivod
that advantage might bo dorivod from associating thorn by uamc in tho Gonoral Treaty, and
this was dono nocordingly.