Page 186 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

4& PERSIAN GULP ADMINISTRATION REPORT
But though no merchandise was robbed during these raids, attacks
unfortunately mado upon British subjects who happened to he trav u-0*0
in the district. On the 24th February, Mr. Greene of the Karachi Rxte° • *
Railway, who was surveying near Jallabi, a village about 30 miles fSl°u
Bandar Abbas, was sudd only surrounded by some CO Baharlu 6owars who r0til
cecdcd to strip him and his Indian followers of all they possessed, including th*'
boots and most of their clothes. The robbers then having ascertained
Mr. Greene’s money was in his camp near Jallnbi made off in that dircctio
by a most fortunate chance some of the Doputy-Governor’s sowars, who
returning from escorting a caravan, arrived at the camp before the raid?f0
and the latter thereupon rofrained from attaching it. Meanwhile, Mr. Grce^’
with his native surveyors, seeing the robbers departing in the direction
the camp, decided to make for Bandar Abbas. Ho had to walk 17
with bare feet, before he was able to obtain a donkey, and ultimately reach*?
the Consulate, about 4 p. m., in a very distressed condition. All his personal
effects were subsequently restored to him, and the only actual loss -sustained
was that of some not very valuable garments which the party happened to be
wearing at the time, and of some surveying instruments and field boohs
which were wantonly destroyed by the raiders. A feature of this raid was
the rapidity with which it was carried out. The district had been peaceful
for some months past, and no rumours of the approach of tlio raiders preceded
them, as is usually the case. They arrived without warning and left as rapidly
as they came. The Deputy-Governor despatched tufangchis in pursuit of them,
but the attempt was obviously futile since the raiders were all nearly mounted]
and they succeeded in driving off a large number of herds of cattle and making
good their escape into Fars. Mr. Gieene subsequently proceeded in the Con­
sulate launch to Minab where he joined a survey party under Mr. Nunn
who had come from Task. The whole party then proceeded to Bandar Abbas,
but, on the 11th March, when near Debnan, some 25 miles from Bandar
Abbas, they were attacked by another and more numerous hand of Baharlu
raiders. The survey party consisted of Messrs. Nunn, Greene, Watkins,
Craker and about 100 followers, including ah escort of 12 Baluchis supplied
by Mir Mustapha of Biyaban, and 19, sowars of the Makran levy corps.
The attack started at about 9 a. m., just as the party were loading up to leave
camp, and opened with some shots at long range. The country there is
covered with low scrub, and had the raiders been other than what they were
the position would have been a most serious one, as the attacking force had
excellent cover to approach under. However they appear to have contented
themselves with keeping up a fire at long range, to which Mr. Nunn and
his party replied vigorously, and after some hours succeeded in driving them
off. It is said that they lost seven men killed, while of the survey party four
inen were slightly wounded. Word was sent in to Bandar Abbas that day, and
the local authorities at once despatched tufangchis to their assistance: they
reached the Consulate at 6 p. m. on the evening of the 12th, without further
incident. The raiders, however, who were under the leadership of one, Alla
Kuli Khan, did not leave the district, and the scanty force of some 100
tufangchi8 maintained by the Deputy-Governor was obviously insufficient to
oompel them to do so. As the Deputy-Governor also slated that he was
short of ammunition it was considered desirable to ask for one of His Majesty’s
ships, and, on the 14th, H. M. S. “ Pelorus”, Captain Hill, Senior Naval
Officer, arrived. The main body of the raiders was reported to be at Issin,
ten miles north of Bandar Abbas, and detached parties of sowars were
visible on a low range of hills about one and half miles north of the Consulate.
Captain Biscoe happened to be away at the time, and Mr. It. H. New, Bis
Majesty’s Vice-Consul at Lingah, unaer instructions from the Political Resident,
proceeded to Bandar Abbas to assume charge on shore. On the 17th March
naval party consisting of one officer, forty-one men, and two maxim guns was
landed for the defence of the Consulate, and remained on shore till the 19m,
when they were relieved by fifty sepoys of the 2nd Queen Victoria’s Own
Rajputs under the command of Major A. Le £\ Smith. Rinding that tn
town was strongly held the raiders contented themselves with overrunning m
district of Shamil, and aftor having collected large quantities of herds,
ttO; finally.concentrated at Issin on the 23rd, and left the ..district, the follow