Page 306 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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■who in spito of his remonstrances continued to hurrv their neighbours
territory and to infest the public roads. To this end after in vain inviting tho
Beni Yas Chief to become their sponsor, he confederated against them their
feudal opponents ard by directing a well-timed foray into tlioir own districts
speedily reduced their t hiefs to make their submission, and to furnish them­
selves the security required for their future good behaviour.
" a. Tho matter on which Sheikh Sultan bin Suggur engaged ray attention
was the desire he expressed to c erce a tribe called Shooeyheen, numbering
about 600 lighting men, who, whcu lately located ar Sharjah, had contracted a
blood-feud with the Ho welch Tribe, also residing at the same place; and being
removed by him in consequence to Himrccah, one of his own dependencies,
were now plotting with the people of that port to reject his authority and assert
their own independence. Tho better to effect his object he foresaw that the
blockade of Ilimrccah from the sea would become indispensable, and it was on
this point he wished to consult mo. In claiming the exercise of his prerogative
in this instanco, lie said he proposed to himself only the same course that had
been repeatedly pursued by His Highness the Imnum of Muscat towards his
revolted subjects on the coast of l atinah, as «oil as one to which no objection
had been oll'crcd by us some years ago in lho ease of tho Beni Yas Chief, who,
wheu his dependents of die Gubrysat Tribe bad seceded to A deed, was per­
mitted to employ force both by land and by sea to compel their return to
Aboothabee, and after urging upon me that if any opposition were now made
thereto, he must of coins i he exempted from any responsibility on account of
his disaffected followers hereafter, ho concluded by observing that, as it was at
the suggcsiion of Ahmed el Soodcyrco he had too hastily transferred the
Shooeyheen 'J ribe to Ilimrccah, so I might he assured, when they found them­
selves assailable only from tho land, they would again seek his protection, who,
being only too anxious to obtain a footing on the sea coast, would readily enter
into their views in order to realise his plans.
“ 4>. Although I was not disposed to attach less weight than might be due to
the prognostications of Sheikh Sultan bin Suggur regarding tho ambitious
schemes of the WahabcR agents, there was still the risk of the excitement and
complicjtions usually attendant upon a maritime expedition to justify some
attempt on my part to dissundo him from his purpose, and I was not sorry
therefore to elicit from him a promiso that the proposed measure should be
postponed to every other means at his disposal and that under no circumstances
Mould ho have recourse to operations by sea until a second reference had been
made to me on the subject. I observed that the precedents lie had adduced of
Adccd and Batinah differed so far from the case of Himreeah that, whereas the
former districts lying contiguous to Muscat and Aboothabee, respectively, were
exempt from foreign interference, the latter port being situated between the
independent States of Ejmaun and Analgawcin must afford to tho Chiefs of
these places both the pretext and the occasion to engage in tho quarrel to the
certain subversion of existing Tieaties, hut, on the other hand, conceiving that
liis right to enforce the allogianc* of the Siiooeyheen Tribe so long as they
might reside within the limits of his jurisdiction could not be contested, while
on their side the alternative was open to them of evading his anger by seeking
an asylum with some other Cliiof; and arguing, moreover, for obvious reasons
that the principle would be a dangerous one of admitting the pretensions of
every petty Chief or clan fancying themselves aggrieved to set aside tho
authority of their lawful superior, I persisted only so far in my dissent from his
views as to propose that in a matter of such inportance the question should be
referred for tho decision of Government; though 1 think it necessary to add
that, should he fail in his present efforts to recall the Shooeyheen io a sense
of their duty and again insist upon his right, I shall consider that I am only
anticipating that decision by no longer opposing its exercise. In the meantime,
in compliance with his reque>t, I have directed Hadji Yocooh to intimate to the
Shooeyheen Tribe and the people of Himreeah that so long as they arc located
in Joasraee territory they must lie hold amenable to the control of their
acknowledged Chief and by vo means count upon lhe operation of our a: rangc-
ments for the maintenance of maritime tranquillity to favour the pros ?cution of
their rebellious designs or screen ihera from the consequences. This intimation
I trust may produce the desired elleefc, but in any case the delay I hare obtained