Page 42 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

368 Records of Bahrain

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.Island but in the interns ts of; pdneo,and commerce,
ns ^Velios with a vicw lo- prevent the re-establish­
ment of the system of Piracy And Slave Trade which
hitherto existed in these waters, and which has led
to the frequent interference of the British Govern­
ment and the conclusion of Treaties with the Arab
Chiefs, including tho Sheiks' of Bahrein, it would page 23.
appear to'.be as important h,ow as it ever was,
that neither the claim of Turkey or Persia to
sovereignly over the Island of Bahrein should be
recognized by the British Government; for, were the
cxsrcisc of British influence to be withdrawn from
those waters, no Power would be at hand to sup­
press either Piracy or the Slave Trade, and those
scourges would, therefore, be revived, to the serious
prejudice of our Indian trade, and to the hindrance
of civilization.
E. IIERTSLET.
'Foreign Office,
March 23, 1874.