Page 83 - Records of Bahrain (1) (i)_Neat

Selections Jrom the Records, 1818-1856 73

UTT001JEES. 415

inclined lo trust himself anew to Persian protection, knowing, as lie did,
that they neither could nor intended lo support him. He therefore, in
August 1846, politely declined the invitation he had received, and begged
leave to inform His Highness that a combination of circumstances pre­
cluded his availing himself of the aid and hospitality he so graciously
proffered.
In the month of September 1846, shortly after making the above
refusal, he re-visited the neighbourhood of Kalccf, and took up his
quarters in the immediate vicinity of Dcmauin. His sudden re-ap­
pearance caused the blockade of the port of Katcef, that had of late been
somewhat relaxed, lo be strictly enforced again, and led to two
engagements between the land forces of Shaikh Mahomed bin IChalccfa
and the Katcef Governor, wherein, however, the cx-chicf took no
personal part, and which terminated pretty evenly for both the
belligerents, the Bahrein Shaikh proving victorious on the one occasion,
and Abdoolla bin Saccd on the other. (Sillier party now applied to the
Resident for permission lo call in certain allies lo join his cause, and in
cither ease did the Resident refuse lo comply. First came the Go­
vernor of Katcef, petitioning him in October 1846 to permit the Mari­
time Chiefs of Oman lo aid him with their naval force against Mahomed
bin Khalccfa. His request could not of course be granted : the British
Government considered them all lo be independent chiefs, and with one
• and all had they entered into treaties, whereby each one of their
number bound himself lo keep the peace, and not to disturb the
tranquillity of the seas. Now it was plain that, if one party coalesced
with the Governor of Kalccf, and another with the Shaikh of Bahrein,—
and this would infallibly happen,—they would wage war the one
upon the other, and create maritime disorder. On such grounds did
the Resident decline lo permit any one of the Shaikhs to proceed lo
the assistance of Abdoolla bin Saecd, and for the same reasons, too,
when Shaikh Mahomed bin Khalccfa shortly after sought the help
of the Shaikh of Debaye (November 1S46), was a refusal of necessity
given.
In the early part of the ensuing year (1847), at a lime when* Abdoolla
bin Ahmed was quartered at Tirhoot, without
A. D. 13'!/.
any followers, and war was still raging between
Kalccf and Bahrein, a quarrel look place betwixt Shaikh Mahomed bin
Khalccfa and the Amayir Chief, which ended in the eventual secession
of the latter from his master’s authority. Some of his principal men went
over toNujd to make their peace with thcWahabcc ruler; others opened
a correspondence with the Governor of Katcef, in order to cflect a
reconciliation with him;—the whole, in fact, of the Amayir Tribe