Page 367 - Records of Bahrain (1) (ii)_Neat

Agreement with the British Government, 1861 723

10
CHAPTER V.

Mahomed-bin-Khalifa blockades Wahabi ports, but compelled to
raise the blockade by the British and to sign a perpetual treaty
of peace, (2) Turkish protest against our proceedings, 1861.

34. In May, 1861, Captain Felix Jones received news that Sheikh Maho-
Letter (mm iho Political Resident, dsitd m mcd-bin-Khalifa had entered upon the
V'1”'"'85 0I.86.. blockade of the neighbouring Wahabi ports
with six armed vessels and was pcrscvcringly employed in harassing the trade
and pearl fisheries of Damaun and Katif. Captain Jones thereupon proceeded
to Bahrein with the full Gulf squadron. He arrived at Bahrein on 18th May,
and from that date to 28th May, he tried in vain to induce the Chief of Bahrein
to stop his aggression. The Chief, it appears, was decided upon ignoring all
British interference and authority, secretly instigated as he had been by Persian
agents, who had promised him even the assistance of a French' vessel. Under
these circumstances and having regard to the decision of the Secretary of State
(Despatch No. 2, dated 18th February 1861), Captain Jones concluded that
forbearance had reached its limits,, and directed Commodore Drought to take
the necessary measures to stop the Chief’s ships from .blockading the harbours
of the Katif coast. The able disposition made by the Commodore placed two
of the Chief’s finest war boats, then preparing for further aggressions, within the
power of the British squadron without firing a shot.
35. The Chief thereupon climbed down, and after some negotiations con­
ducted through his brother Ali, was induced to sign a Perpetual Treaty of Peace
on 21st May 1861, binding himself to
See Appendix D.
abstain from 7uar, piracy and importation
of slaves by sea on condition of protection against similar aggressions and to
permit\all British subjects to trade with Bahrein on payment of an ad valorem
duty of five per cent on their goods. Captain Felix Jones caused one of the
boats captured (the Tawilch) to be restored to the Chief, but retained the other
boat (the Humreh).
36. The Government of Bombay approved' of the measures adopted by the
Political Resident to compel the Sheikh of Bahrein to withdraw his blockading
squadron from the Wahabi coast ; but considering the contumacy displayed by
him, they thought that the boat Ilumrch should not be returned to him, until
the Political Resident deemed,his conduct worthy of such consideration being
shown to him (letter No. 194, dated 23rd July 1861).
37. The Bombay Government also asked the Government of India for appro­
val of the Treaty signed by the Chief, which though obtained without previous
express sanction, would in their opinion be justified in the circumstances and was
calculated to render the Sheikh more amenable, than lie had for a very long time
been to those rules of conduct, his disregard of which had been for several
years the occasion of alarm to his neighbours and anxiety- to the British Govern?-
ment (letter No. 59, dated the 23rd July 1861).
38. These strong measures elicited a remonstrance from the Turkish Gover­
nor General of Baghdad. He wanted to know by what right we have had bom­
barded Damaun, a place which, as lying within the territory of “ Fcysal Beg,
Turkish protest against British proceedings the Kaimmakam of Ncjd,” was " part of
In 1861. the hereditary dominions of the Sultan.” To
which Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General at Baghdad replied that we had
hitherto ” always maintained direct relations with-Amir Feysaias well as with
all the Chiefs and Principalities situated on the shores of the Persian Gulf;
that our pacific policy in the Gulf was well known, and that in the prosecution of
that policy wc had never acknowledged the authority or jurisdiction of any
other State—an authority or jurisdiction moreover which assuredly the Porte
neither does exercise nor has ever exercised in that quarterIn reporting this
correspondence to Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople the
Consul-General wrote as follows :—