Page 56 - PERSIAN 8 1931_1940_Neat

44

On the 2nd May a cousin of the Shaikh of Baraimi visited Dcbai to purchase
foodstuffs, piece-goods, etc., and having bought 30 camel-loads was returning to
Baraimi. On the edge of the Dcbai frontier his caravan was ambushed by a gang
of 25 beduin, consisting of Abu Dhabi subjects and Manasir tribesmen, who opened
fire suddenly killing the cousin of the Shaikh of Baraimi and three of the servants
and wounding the remaining three, after which they made off with the goods and
camels. The Shaikh of Baraimi addressed the Rulers of Dcbai and Abu Dhabi
demanding restoration of the goods and punishment of the culprits. As the Shaikhs
took no action lie summoned to his help some of the Bani Ghaflir of the South and
attacked some subjects of Abu Dhabi, killing three men and capturing 30 camels.
In retaliation some Dhwahir tribesmen of Abu Dhabi raided Baraimi territory,
killing two men and wounding four, and as a reprisal some of the Naim tribe assailed
the people of Abu Dhabi, killing four men and wounding five, their own casualties
being three killed and five wounded. The Shaikh of Abu Dhabi then having
obtained the support of the Shaikh of Debai, sent his brother Shaikh Huzza* with
500 men to reinforce the people residing on his frontier, but the Shaikh of Baraimi
with 400 men made a night attack on the village of A1 Ain in Jov, belonging to Abu
Dhabi: he was however driven off, the aggressors losing 12 killed and 7 wounded and
the A1 Ain 8 killed and 11 wounded. Having failed in this attack the Shaikh of
Baraimi besieged the village of Ain A1 Dhwahir and blocked up the springs which
watered the plantations and cut down several date gardens. The Shaikh of Abu
Dhabi with 500 men set out to rel pve the besieged village, but finally decided tQ
await further support from Debai. On the 14th June a caravan carrying food for
the relief of the beleagured force was robbed inside Abu Dhabi territory by a
raiding party of the Shaikh of Baraimi, and four days later a second caravan of
33 camels carrying food for the Abu Dhabi force was plundered, one of the escort
being killed and the remaining two wounded. At this juncture, the Jowasim
Shaikhs of Shargah, Ras-al-Khaimah and the Shaikh of Ajman agreed to support
Baraimi against Abu Dhabi and Debai: since the Jowasim are Ghaffiris, while the
Bani Yas, to whom Abu Dhabi and Debai belong, arc Hanawis, there was every
likelihood of a general conflagration developing on the old tribal lines of Ghaffiri
against Hanawi. The Shaikh of Debai hearing that the food caravan sent to
relieve the Abu Dhabi forces had been looted left with 700 men towards Baraimi
and had a meeting with the Shaikh of Baraimi and succeeded in arranging a 15
days* truce, with a view to negotiating a final settlement; this truce however was
repeatedly violated by the’beduin on both sides, the chief culprits being the
Manasir, allies of Abu Dhabi, and finally expired on the 8th July without any final
settlement having being arrived at. On the 12th a party of Baraimi beduin
attacked the Debai camp inflicting several casualties. A counter raid by Abu Dhabi
followed in which 5 of the enemy were killed and 200 sheep, 20 cows, and 10 donkeys
were carried off. On the 19th July the Shaikh of Baraimi and his allies made a
combined attack on the Shaikh of Dcbai, killing 10 and wounding 14 of his men,
while some of their followers raided Jumairah near Debai and carried off 3 slaves
and 30 camels. A further fight took place on the 30th July and casualties occurred
on both sides, after which a lull followed, which gave the Shaikh of Debai further
opportunity of effecting a settlement. Finally on the 9th August peace was
restored, the conditions being that both sides should bury the hatchet and that the
people of Baraimi should clean out the water springs which they had closed.

i