Page 360 - Records of Bahrain (1) (i)_Neat

348 Recordi of liakrain

Enel os are !Jo C.

^ - e s zi « conference with Haiie Afc'Jool Ameer, a Confidential Agent
of H.H. the Inan of Muscat, respecting negotiations for Peace
between the Chief of Bahrein and His Highr.esn, 23 A•;g st 1323.
Hajie Abdool Ameer, a confidential messenger fror H.H. the Iras
of M.scat, arrived this day and cane to the residency bringing a
letter which accredited hi- respecting the affairs between Bahrein
and Muscat.
The Hajie cor. recced his sissies by saying that as the Governt -
had expressed so great a desire to see peace restored between the
Irsr and the Chief of Bahrein, H.H. -as prepared to do anything that
would meet its wishes and therefore had sent hia to say that
whatever I thought necessary and proper so do ir. the ratter of the
peace H.H. would forthwith confirm. I answered that although the
Govt was r.o doubt cost desirous that all the states connected with
it by friendly relations should be at peace with each other, still
it never by any r.esns vent the length of wishing H.H. to sacrifice
his real interests, even to bring about so desirable an object as
that, that it had always advised H. Highness ncc to attack Bahrein,
and that what had happened when he did so end since showed the
soundness of the advice. The war between Hcscai and Bahrein had
given us very great cause of laments - : partin-lariy in the
affair of the Mirbat vessels but still H.H. was the best judge of
his own affairs and the terns or. which he should now sake peace. I
added-it was obvious that in War many things for which there
is r.c possible remedy and that although punishment could be
inflicted when piracy nay be conn:toed and cerosin ohings recovered
far the greatest evil of all, the killing of men, there was no
remedy, no restitution. Ir. the Mirbat affair some of the property
had been recovered but nothing could restore to life Sued Mahomed,
the owner of one of the vessels and the rest zi the people who had
beer, killed. Abdool Aneer, the messenger, fully concurred ir. all
this ar.d then passed to the proposal made In the letter from H.H.
the Imam to me which he observed were: first, that the former
tribute should be paid, or secondly, that tho expenses of the
expedition should be paid or thirdly that there sh uId re peace
between the traders at sea, but that the chiefs sh -Id go and attack
each other by 1 ar.d : f they 1 iked. The Immam's letter , enclosure No
5, does not it will be observed confine the var to the land only*
but Abdool Ameer took that view e: it. In answer to he two first
proposals 1 read extracts of letters from Abdoolla bin Ahmed, the
Chief of Bahrein, stating that or. r.o consideration -o -Id he consent
to pay a single farthing, as :e the third proposal it seemed to me
impossible to be accowpllshed. In the first 3.re Bahrein is an
the overt
island and in case -either of attacking or being attacked,
act of var must commence by sea. would either party allow the other
to prepare an expedition without interruption and artta ::T *0 land
before it made any attempt towards defeating Th * : ~-T was not
to bo supposed. Moreover who was to be the ;.dgo cetveen the two
states of what was legitimate war* and now co u 1 d p.racy be ^ v
fist i ng v 1 shed. that I had no orders what o j or o.er cculc - -- ^
guarantee a peace made by any power, that our o* .ng to* ccat;r«
and fudges between them was there fere imprebarle- Tho j
conourred in this reasoning and admitted ; a; tcourse propo­
ses not compatible with these x;e*s. The .'roe proposals, 3 what
thus disposed of. the messenger observed, that 'o v.s'ou tc s»n
for *e to
I do s i re .1 o r t ho ugh t ad x i s ab 1 e , *. replied iv« - *• was not ir. reply
cave any proposals but that Abdoolla o n r !>.?,* ' jd .r it ten do was
to my letters to him that the oaty t > ng
to s.»vi peace, neither party ha» , no ary ola ms : ' e other, and
with H.H.
that he would not make a dote *; . *o and o : :.* *.* al. •’ —
and that even to these terms the ?r d .m * r 11. m . St . the
guarantee, that 1 had rept eb to vh > n .* >; deo cod.' * :h>at the
Brtt.s'*. do«eromeat nexer would bo ;**e gvava*;ee of an.« pfJte, *c

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