Page 300 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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upon tin Resident on board the flagship. Captain Felix Jones, however, did
not tool himself capable of holding converse with ouc so recently and so fear­
fully polluted, and declined to receive his visit.
Shargah, however, continued to bo governed by tho usurper and tho
murderer Shoikh Khalid.
5. Sultan bin Saggar died in 1SGG, at the ripe age of 110. Thereupon his
son Ibrahim took charge of Ras-ul-Khima,
Death of Sultan bin Saggar, I860, V,.lumo
III — SO of 1867. while another son Khalid was in charge of
Shargah. Ibrahim was, however, in 'May
1867 attacked by Khalid and expelled from Itas-ul-Khiraa, so that thcchiefdora
became reunited after shortlived separation into two. Ibrahim appealed to the
Wahabi Lieutenant for intervention.
7. In April 1S68 the Chief of Abu Tliabi led an expedition against Shargah
Civil Wars—Death of Khalid, iscs and going in advance of his forces
Political a. July 1808, Nos. 361-362. challenged Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan of
Shargah to a single combat. In tho tight Khalid received a wound, which
proved mortal and he died on 14th April.
8. Khalid was succeeded by his brother Salim, and a nephew of their’s,
Humid bin Abdullah bin Sultan, was appointed Governor of Ras-ul-Khima.
Hamid bin Abdullah soon afterwards throw otf his allegiance to Salim bin
Sultan and proclaimed his independence (1869).
9. In April 1SG9 the Wahabi Lieutenant at Bcravmi came to the Pirate
Coast and pretended to arbitrate some of the littoral quarrels. He plotted the
imprisonment of the Shargah Chief, Salim, in view to placing the Chief’s
brother, Sheikh Ibrahim, in Ras-ul-Khima, and bringing his nephew, Sheikh
Harnitl, to Shargah.
10. Sheikh Salim caught the Lieutenant in his own net, and he was shot
in a general all'rav in April 1809. Many
Proce<ding\ June 1869, No. 3S3.
of the Lieutenant's followers shared the
same fate, and the survivors retired. Shortly afterwards, it was reported that
Sheikh Salim alarmed, apparently, at tho temerity of the act committed by his
people in shooting the Wahabi Lieutenant, voluntarily resigned the Chiefship
into the hands of his brother Ibrahim. But this recognition eventually turned
out to be a mere reconciliation between the two brothers in view to strength­
ening themselves against any retaliatory proceedings on the part of the Wahabi
Amir; and Sheikh Salim while himself still Chief of Shargah, was plotting the
restoration of his brother Ibrahim to the Chiefship of llas-ul-Khima, then in
the hands of his brother Sheikh Hamid.
11. On the 3rd of May 1869 the First Assistant Resident, Bassidore,
reported that the sheikh of Shargah had sent a force with his brother Ibrahim
by sea to the Island of Zohab, aud that their intention was to act thence by land
and sea against Ras-ul-Khima.
Tho Resident received these reports when off the Port of Lingah on his
way to Maskat in tho Dalhousie. So, taking the Gunboat Hugh Rasa
in tow, lie steamed across the Gulf to the Ras-ul-Khima coast, and surprised
Sheikh Salim who had already landod some 1,500 men from 32 crafts, and
who then lay encamped immediately on the shore line, with his inland flank
secured by a creek, in which his craft were hauled up.
13. The Chief of Ras-ul-Khima, being the party attacked, had called in the
aid of the Umm-ul-Kowcin Chief, who had detached five or six hundred men by
sea and landed them at tho town of Ras-ul-Khima.
Fighting had taken place both before Rasul-IChiraa, and at the Island of
Zohab, a little to westward, and somo casualties had been the result.
14. On the evening of the Resident’s arrival (12th May), the Ras-ul-Khima
Chief came on hoard, and explained that he had been suddenly attacked, and
that the attack had for its object his own expulsion in favour of Sheikh
Ibrahim.
At daybreak of the 13th the Resident ran tho Hugh Rose into within
suitable distance of the creek, when tho Chiefs, Salim and Ibrahim, came on
board, having in the meantime received from the Resident a cautionary letter.
Tho Kesident recapitulated to these Chiefs the naturo of the Government
orders in respect to operations by sea, which should bo pro vented by force of
arms if necessary, and gave them time until sunset to clear out and retire.