Page 60 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

386 Records of Bahrain

On hearing this I immediately waited on Sheikh Esau, and had the informa­
tion from lumMlf through Mina Abul Cassini, ns I found tlio hunyahs and a
numhor of other informants who wnitc[l on mo were loo excited to bo exact.
Theinformation I received from Sheikh Esau was substantially what I had
already dotailcd.
I then raado tho following suggestions, which tho Sheikh approved of, and
promised to assist mo in carrying out:—
\8t.—That he should at onco solid,off boats on tho look-out off Maharag.
2nd. That I should proceed during tho night towards lias llckkan in
Her Majesty’s vessel under my command to (if possible) intercept tho boats,
lhc Sheikh Bending with mo a person,to represent him, a pilot, and the men
who brought the news and was acquainted with tho appearance of tho boats.
3rr/.—Tho two outer buoys to bo lighted up at night to indicato tho pas-
sago to tho harbour.
The Sheikh did not consider it uccpssary that an armed boat should romain
in tho harbour; on this point, howovcr„.I did not agree with him and thought it
advisablo to hovo ono, so accordingly despatched Mr. Cuthbort, 1st Officer, with
somo marines and lasoar and six-poundor Whitworth gun oil board the buggalow
Badric off Lingah, tlicro to remain during my absonco with ordors to render
such assistance as was possible to Shcikli/Esau and to British subjects. As Shoikh
Esau was of opiuion that the Beni Hajir would at onco start for Bahrein, I re­
commended that smart boats should meet mo at the southern cud of the FusliL-
cl-Dcbil, aud inform mo if auy suspicious boats had passed during the night, in
which caso I would immediately return to Bahreiu.
At 3 a.m. I weighed and proceeded by tho south end of tho Fusht-ol-Dobil
towards Has llckkan. On sighting Guttal-Ycradoh, tho iuforiuant drow my
attontion to two boats closo to tho reef, boro away for them, ouo mado sail ap­
parently to avoid us, fired over and brought her to'boarded, aud found she was a
pcacoful trader.
Then stood for tho Guttur Coest, on reaching it off Kliorc llassnn sighted a
boat rounding lias llckkan, immediately thoy perceived us they altered their
course and rau their boat on shoro at Ai-lluaisc, and I distinctly saw two persons
jump ovorboard aud mako for the land. I then rounded tho gunboat to and
fired a shot in their direction, then a portion of the crow set off to us in
their small boat, and came on board. All tho Sheikh’s pcoplo at first
declared it was ono of tho boats wo were after, so sent 2nd Officer to bring
romaiuder of tho crew on board before destroying tho boat. However, iu the
intorim tho man who roprosoutod tho Sheikh changed his opiuion, so gavo thorn
the benofit of tho doubt, and sont thom,.baok to thoir vcasol. Wo thou coasted
round to Euarrait, at which placo a Calling boat had informed us wo should
find throe craft with tho Beni iiajir on board; this information proved incorrect.
Wo anchored then for tho night, and feeling certain that no vessels had passed
mo going towards Bahrein, I thought fit advisablo to goon tho noxt day and
examino the Khores Dakhirah and Shnjcyj, but found nothing. At Shajcyj
wo woro told that tho Beni Hajir bearing tho report of our guus across the
peninsula had.left tho boats and wero crossing by camels to attack Zobarah.
Tho'boatB immediately tho Boni Hjijir lauded returned to El Biddah, where
thoy 'had boon ta"kcA from. I did not consider it nccossary to pursuo them
further, ns I found tho crow had been cbcrcod by tho Bcui Hajir. Mirza Abul
Cassim wrote to the Ohiof of El Biddah a lot ter of remonstrance, and wo
roturhed to Bahroin; arriving on tho morning of the 1st instant.
Tho oxcitQmcut has. considerably subsided, though business is still stopped,
and numbers of armed racu.parado.tho Streets; tho Sheikh has recalled somo o
tho pearl boat*.-
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