Page 323 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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due to the relatives of the raurdored man, which was fixed at 600 dollars, and
(Hi) the surronder of the two boats engaged in the piracy.
G3. The chief of Abu Thabi, Sheikh Said bin Tahnun, had at this time fled
from Abu Thabi aud Sheikh Zaid bin Ealifuh had taken his place. The latter,
when Commodore Etherscy made the demands upon bim, which had been
originally addressed to Said bin Tahnun, contended that ho should not bo held
responsible for the acts committed by the tribes prior to his succession. The
Commodore answered that no chango in the Chiefship could cancel the respon­
sibilities of a Chiof for the liabilities of his predecessor. Sheikh Zaid bin
Kalifah ultimately complied with the demands. The two boats engaged in the
piracy wero burnt.

(iv) PIRACY OF TIIE KALLIAN AT S1IARGAII, 1855.
64. On the llth Novomher 1856 a nourec, the ‘ Kallian,’ the property of
Resident** leltor dated lo:h Decotabcr 1855, OnG ICimji Copal, a British Subject, who
Voi. No. Ill of 1856, p. 19. resided at Bombay, reached Shargah
from Mangalore, laden with 2,650 muras of rice, and 35 guni bags of coffee,
consigned to people of that port.
65. On the 15th 1,000 of the muras were landed, and next day 1,170
more together with 36 guni bags of coll'ce.
66. On tho 18th, whilst lying at anchor in the outer roads, a storm arose,
which eventually drifted her ashoro, and at sunset, when the wind had abated,
tho tide falling and the swell subsiding, she was loft with stern high and dry on
the beach. No sooner had she stranded than the Nakhoda perceived crowds of
Arabs coming down to plunder her, so he hoisted his colours, and said : “ This
is the British Flag, do not come near, my vessel has suffered no injury.” The
Arabs, however, insisted on boarding her, plundered her of everything, gear,
property, sails, and all, tore down the Flay and destroyed it, and beat the
crews and stripped them of their clothes. This done, thoy collected in a body
and shoved tho nouree straight under water, and having procured the
necessary implements they cut up her cabin. The nouree people possessing
secured in a box a second r'lag, tho First Officer said to the Arabs, “ This colour
bolongs to tho Sirkar, do not molest it.” Whereupon tho Arabs commenced
abusing the Sirkar most violently, and severely beating the spokesman.
67. Tho offence was regarded by the Resident as of a very serious nature ;
for not only had the Arabs plundered the crew and insulted the Flag of the
Sirkar, but, in a case-where they should have assisted the people of the nouree
who were in difficulties, and should have aided them in floating their vessel,
and recovering the property that was iu her, they, on the contrary, purposely
sunk her, and robbed her of all that was on board of her. The Resident there­
fore deputed a British man-of-war to Shargah to investigate and settle the affair
with a demand on tho Chief to recover, in accordance with list onclosed, from
his subjects whatever they took from the nouree, either the property or its
value aggregating N. M. Rs. 4,720 to repair all damages done to the vessel and
to punish the perpetrators of the act, that others might take warning.
68. The Chief tried to excuse the act as a legitimate one, as the vessel was
wrecked; he also contended that the culprits were Bedouins, not natives of
Shargah. There was no doubt, however, that a large number of Shargah
Arabs took part in the crime. As to the other plea, Captain Felix Jones was
of opinion that to admit it would encourage depredations on the whole coast of
Arabia. The demands of the Resident wero substantially complied with
by the Chief of Shargah.
(v) PIRACY BY AX ABU THABI BOATS; CONDUCT OF TIIE CHIEF IN PROMPTLY
PUNISHING THE OFFENDER, 1835.
69. In September 1855 the buggarah of Juma bu Buttain, native of Abu
Thabi, having on board 12 pearl divers,
Resident'* letter datod 19th NovamVr 1855,
Vol. 1—83 of 1856. set out for tho pearl banks. Eight of the
divers absconded off shay a, and embarked
in other boats tolonging to that port; Juma bu Buttain’s buggarah proceeded