Page 107 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOE THE YEAE 1012. 97
i nncd that something in that direction will he feasible in order to wipe off
it !s fong outstanding case.
1118 ° feud between the Shaikh of Dcbai and the Bin Luta family, into
Tho
Dobt5 with the Chief of Ajman had been drawn,
as mentioned above, gave no further
oublc during the year, and it is hoped that the Bin Lutas have realised
!hc error of their ways ; Shaikh Butti’s relations which his colleagues were
jisfactory, and ho seems to have genuinely tried to discourage the Arms Traffic
? ]jis town. In other matters, however, he was obstinate and difficult to
deal with.
Thus, when in October 1912, Muhammad Ibrahim, the Debai Agent of tho
British India Steam Navigation Company, died, and it was desired by the
Company’8 Agents to send some one to replace him, the Shaikh again evinced
an unsatisfactory attitude, refusing to allow the new Agent to land, until
taken to task by the Resident, and objecting generally to any European land-
U!g except in company with the Resident or his representative.
Further discussion on this subject was, however, cut short by Shaikh
Butti’s death on November 29th from a stroke of paralysis after a short illness.
An intractable and obstructive character is thus removed, but as the
Principality of Debai appears to be ruu by a clique of the Pu Feiasaclan,
rather than the Shaikh himself, it is not possible to be confident that any con­
siderable improvement in the postion will result from the accession of the new
Shaikh.
P. Z. COX, Lieutenant Colonel,
Political Resident
in the Persian Gulf.'