Page 390 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

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condolence lie had proceeded to Riyadh where he had seen Bin Sa’ud and
the Heir Apparent (both in public). Shaikh Sultan received as a present
in Riyadh—
One V 8 Ford car.
fouiteen rifles,
eight pistols and cash and clothes.

3. Abu Dhabi.
(i) Shaikh Shakhbut bin Sultan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, arrived at Bah­
rain on the 5th August on his way to Basrah for medical treatment. It
was first suspected that he was proceeding to 'Iraq to meet persons interest­
ed in oil, from whom he was known to have received overtures, but this was
not borne out by subsequent reports, lie returned from Basrah on the
30th September and left Bahrain for Abu Dhabi on the 8th October.
(ii) The Political Agent (Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Loch. C.I.E.) paid
several visits to Abu Dhabi in connection with the provision of a landing
ground at Abu Dhabi and to discuss certain matters connected with the
frontier between Sa’udi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. As a result of his last
visit in November, the Political Agent was able to recommend to Govern­
ment a suitable frontier between the two States.
(in) The Officiating Political Agent (Captain G. A. Cole) also visited
Abu Dhabi in June in "connection with the obstructive attitude adopted by
the Shaikh over the erection of a petrol store at the landing ground at
Abu Dhabi [sec paragraph 5 (iv)]. During the same tour Shaikh Shakhbut
was also allowed to apologise to the Officer Commanding, H. M. S. Fowey
(Commander Neville Harvey), for discourtesy in keeping the Ship waiting
before he came off to pay his call on the Commander. The Shaikh refused
to do so at first, but the Shaikh of Dubai intervened and, wiser councils pre­
vailing, the Shaikh apologized to Commander Harvey. Relations with him
have since been cordial.

4. Ras al Khaimah.
Shaikh Sultan bin Salim, Ruler of Ras al Khaimah, had for some years
past studiously refused to meet His Majesty’s Representatives or call on His
Majesty’s Ships when they visited his port, as he harboured a grievance
about .action taken to seize his boats when the petrol barge was being
installed.
Mattes came to a head when, in the latter half of December 1934, the
Shaiku ioinoved his flagstaff and flag from Tunb Island, and was reported
to be intriguing with the Iranians. In January the Residency Agent (Khan
Bahadur ’Isa bin Abdul Latif) was ordered to proceed to Ras al Khaimah
to enquire from the Shaikh the reason for bis extraordinary action in re­
moving his flagstaff and flag from Tixnb Island, and at the same time
reminded him of his obligations under Article 5 of the Treaty of 1892. The
Residency Agent reported that the Shaikh had no intention of abandoning
the island but wanted to make money out of it, and, therefore, removed his
flag to attract attention. In March the Shaikh was informed that His
Maiestv’s Government were not prepared to pay him rent for the Light
House on 3rtmb Island and that if he did not replace his flag forthwith
the Shaikh of Shariah (who is the head of the Qawasimi clan) would be
permitted to hoist his flag on the island. This warning had the desired
effect and the flagstaff and flag were replaced on the island on the 3rd April.
The sequel to this firm warning was that the Shaikh sent a polite letter
to the Honourable the Political Resident in which he expressed the hope
that a Political Officer would visit him at Ras al Khaimah and also asking
that a geologist, should be sent to Ras al Kbaimah to make a survey of his
territory for minerals. Id connection with the latter request it is interest­
ing that, when the French Sloop “Bougainville” visited Rns al Khaimah
on the lltli February, overtures for a geologist were believed to have been
made to Contro Ainiral Rivet (Commander-in-Chief, Levant Station).