Page 33 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

Persian and Turkish claims to Bahrain, 1870-1874 359

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which Mr. Hammond wrote, ** It is impossible to
make out this Bahreiu business, and 1 should.be
inclined to let it stand over, at all events, for the
present.” Nothing further, therefore, was then
done upon it.
India Office, November 20, 1871. In the autumn of 1871, during the progress of -
the Turkish expedition against Ncjd, a circum­
stance arose which re-opened the question of the
Turkish claim to sovereignty over Bahrein.
It was reported that a Turkish messenger had
been murdered by order of the Chief 6f Bahrein.
The Indian Government fearing lc6t the matter
should give rise to serious complications, instructed
Colonel Belly to proceed to the spot, and to do all
in his power to settle tile question amicably.
Colonel Telly arrived at the Island in November,
and reported the facts of the ease to be as follows
India Office, February 21, 1S72. The messenger belonged to the Beni Ilajic tribe
of Arabs on the mainland opposite Bahrein, and
was proceeding from Lahsa to Guttur vi;\ Ojair,
with letters from hjs employer, Nassin bin Mobarck,
and, having occasion to put in at the port of
Bahrein, lie was recognized by some Arabs as
having been concerned in the murder, in 18G9, of
the late Chief of Bahrein, Ali ben Khalccfah, and
killed on the spot; but the Chief of Bahrein was
in no way concerned in the murder.
On the body of the messenger was found, among
other letters, one (but of which he was merely inciden­
tally the bearer), from Tcreck Pasha at Lahsa, and
this was sent, unopened, t.o its address.
The Turkish Government at first took the
matter up warmly, and, in November following, the
Turkish fleet visited Bahrein, and the Commodore
SCfcttcrClofUrFebruary024 ^872* *n^olnlC(^ Colonel Pelly that he considered Bahrein
p.9. ’ Turkish territory; but, _at the request of Sir Henry
Elliot, Server Pasha repeated the assurances formerly
Sir H. Elliot, No. 399, November
14, 1871. given by Aali Pasha, that the Porte did not entertain
To India Office, December 5, any intention of obtaining supremacy over;; Bahrein,
1871.
Muscat, or the independent tribes of. Southern
Arabia, nor contemplate any attack upon them.
To Sir ’ll. Elliot No. 203, Before this despatch reached this office, .Sir
November 2, 1871. Henry Elliot had.been instructed by Lord Granville
to ascertain definitively wlmt. was the policy of
the Porte with regard to the Persian Gulf; and,
accordingly, on the 10th . December, ' i 871, he
reported that Server Pasha Had.again assured him

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