Page 150 - Records of Bahrain (1) (ii)_Neat

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Records of Bahrain

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visitod them at Qais Island, whore lie received a valuable present. In
tbeso circumstancos, and moro especially as it was understood that the
Shaikhs of Sharjah and Dibai did not desire to bo embroiled in the affair,
tho reply of tbe British Resident at Busbehr to tbc ex-eliicf, who waited
on him thoro, was that, while tho British Government
wore prepared to
arbitrate between tho parties without themselves
guaranteeing* a settle­
ment, they could neither intervene to restore Shaikh 'Abdullah to power
nor permit tho Shaikhs of Trueial 'Oman to be dragged into a dangerous
war without advantage to themselves or to the original combatants.
It 16 probable that, at his visit to Biisholir, Shaikh 'Abdullah hoped PoriUn
to dcrivo some benefit from a correspondence which had already been 1813.
maintained for several months between himself and Shaikh Salman, an
individual who held no oflieial position in Persia but was a nephew of the
Shaikh of Bushclu*. The interchange of views appears to have been
eom-
incnccd by Shaikh Salman, who did not scruple, while Shaikh 'Abdullah
was still blockaded in Dammam, to promise him the military assistance of
Persia. In October 1813, doubtless with a hope of ularming the
British authorities, Shaikh 'Abdullah professed himself ready, if disap­
pointed by the British Government, to throw himself into tho anna of
Persia; but iu reply, he was merely informed that the adherence of Persia
to his cause would not be
recognised by Britain unless it were open and
declared.
After a short sojourn at Busbehr Shaikh 'Abdullah returned to g^lch ^
Dammam, wbenco he had come, but soon afterwards ho transferred bis lesi
dcncc toNaband ou the Persian coast, and almost simultaneously 'Isa-bin |)<lin,niin
Tarif, who chafed at tho hindrances imposed on his operations by the
Restrictive Line, removed his belongings from dais Island and scttlcc TariHr^r
at Dohah, then called Bida', in Qatar, \)dh*h, 1*
About tho samo time, or puobably earlier, 'Isu-bin-Tarif, who was at Althjj
heart no less an enemy of Shaikh Muhammad-bin-Khalifah than of his GoTornnv
unsuccessful rival, suggested to Saiyid Thmvaini, regent of Masqat, that
he should profit by tho dissensions of the Al IChalifah Shaikhs to conquei
Bahrain, and volunteered to assist him in tho enterprise. Saiyid Thuwaiui %v
referred tho proposal to his fulbcr Saiyid Sa'id, the sovereign of 'Oman, ^
then absent in Mast Africa; and tho result was an application to the
British authorities, by whoso advice 'Isa-biii-Tarlf's proposal
was
rejected. *1 he principul reasons which iuiluouccd the British Govern­
ment to dissuade Saiyid Sa'id from an invasion of Bahrain wuio
the personal abseneo of Ilis Higlu
less from the scene; the incapacity of
bis representative, Saiyid Thuwaiui
; the probability of offence being

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