Page 358 - Records of Bahrain (1) (i)_Neat

346 Records of Bahrain

Second "The alliance shall bind the parties not to assist the
enemies of each other but shall not bind them to assist each other.
0. I regret much to observe that the Chief of Bahrein's reply. No
! 9, does not accept the offer made In my letter to mediate the peace.
He says "I cannot feel secure from infraction unless someone like
you were to become the mediator of goodness between the whole so
that when one of us should assess his neighbour improperly and
without cause you should turn the infractor and assessor back on
this condition." "We consent to peace", To consent to become such
a mediator would clearly be to make the British Government the
guarantee of the Peace and the Chief of Bahrein himself used that
word in speaking to our Agent at that place, as in like manner did
the Imam's messenger, Hajie Abdool Ameer, when the letter was put
into his hands for perusal.

9. Affairs having reached this point I have addressed No 10 to the
Chief of Bahrein and will transmit it by the first opportunity, 11
expresses my regret at his want of perception of his own interests
and reiterates that the British Government will never so far enter
into the interior concerns of other states as to guarantee any
peace, but that if peace be concluded by any mediator whatsoever the
British Government would be highly displeased with whoever might, by
breaking it, become an aggressor.
10. No 11 is a letter to H.H. the Imam transmitted by the present
express boat and which communicates any proceedings in the affairs
between H.H. and the Chief of Bahrain and their allies and expresses
my regret at having failed in my exertions to negotiate a peace but
points out how careful I have been of H.H.'s interests and that I
conceive my having made all the proposals to the Chief of Bahrein in
my own name, and as from myself that I have kept the ground
perfectly clear for H.H. to negotiate, through other means or for
any other description of terms which he may deem more suitable.
1 1 . I cannot help regretting, although it is now vain, that H.H.
when he sent up his Frigate and confidential relation, as reported
in my dispatch No 12 dated 19 January last, did not at that time
distinctly intimate that his interests required peace. Instead of
so doing his relation made use of the general and friendly
expressions that the Imam would immediately fulfil whatever the
Government prescribed and to which I could only answer that the
Government, although most anxious to see peace restored, would not
interfere in the war or prescribe any positive line of conduct that
might from want of due information on our part injure greatly H.H.
interests, a mode of proceeding far from the wishes of the
Government, had a hint then been given that H.H. interests would
have been served instead of injured I should certainly have made an
effort to bring about a peace, but pride forbade that the hint
should be given to me, although the next step H.H. pursued was to
order his Agent in Bombay to ask the Honble the Governor's advice
respecting the preparation of a second expedition against Bahrein.
H. Highness was well aware that the sanction and approbation of tie
Government would not be given to such a proceeding and that my
strenuous effort to mediate would be the consequence of such an
appeal, but hopefully H. Highness having so long delayed to make
known his real wishes and interests is the less to be lamented or
fear that although the Chief of Bahrein might probably have
consented to terms more favorable to the Imam than those
events have enabled me to propose, I can hardly feel a doubt
the Bahrein Chief would still have Insisted upon our 9uar^n^cc.l;°
any peace mediated by us unless he were in extremely which he
never been since the Imam last year failed in his attempt on
Island. On the contrary a series of small events but unlucky
part of H.H. have tended greatly to Inflame the pride of the «
=3
Chief and depress the credit of the Imam. First there was •
Highness's most unaccountable failure at Bahrein, then two o