Page 78 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

404 Records of Bahrain

Sheikh of El Bida, nud succeeded in mnkiug peace between him and the Naycin.
Somo 250 regular Turkish infantry were on board tho Iskander in, but the
pacification was effected without their assistance. Tho Turkish Commauder
also obtained a promiso in writing from tho Sheikh nud Nasir bin Mubarile
that they wOuld not make-any attack upon Bahrein; and this mcasuro had
tho effect of allaying tho apprehensions which wero previously entertained by
tho people of tho island. The Zobara Chief has been sufficiently punished by
tho retribution, which has thus unexpectedly bcfullou him; and tho Govern­
ment of India havo accordingly directed Colonel Ross not to press tho question
of bis chastisomout with tho Turkish authorities any further.
Fresh acts of piracy have, however, been committed in the Gulf, in which
tho principal offenders nro said to have been Mansur bin Miuakhir, tin? Chief of
the Ejmau tribe, and Zaidbiu Muhammad, a Beni Hnjirof Zahran and tho leader
of several previous marauding excursions. The details aro reported as follows :—
In December 1878 Mansur started from Bahrein, where ho had been to see
the Chiof, with so von Ejmau followers in a jolly-boat bolonging to a rcsidout of
Bahrein named Tbrnhim bin Abdulla. On arriving at the mainland he seized
the boat, Bonding back tho crow, and despatched some of his followers to
Zuid biu Muhammad. Zaid joint'd him with 40 or 50 Beni Ifajir, and tlioy
put to sea. Thov first seized and pluudorod a Guttur boat laden with dales,
and they tkcu fell iu with a Musliwa belonging to a merchant of El Wakrah,
which was on its way to JCatif from Bahreiu with a cargo of pearls and cash.
They opened Aro on tho.crow, wouuding tho owner, look possession of tho
Mashwa, nud carried her off with four slaves and all the property on board,
estimated at Rupees 20,000 in value, to Zahran. It is alleged that ten boats
conveying Turkish soldiers from Ojair to Katif wero in sight during tho
occurrence, but the Turks, though they wero appealed to, declined to iutcrforc
on.tho ground that they had received no orders to do so.
On receiving this inform itiou the Government of India directed Colonel
Nixon, Political Ageut, Turkish Arabia, to impress on the Turkish authorities
tho necessity either of operating vigorously against Zaid bin Muhammad or of
allowing the British Government to act freely.
Colonel Nixon addressed the Governor of Busrah, who informed him that
an Imperial Corvetts had been ordered to cruise along tho coast, and that
stringent orders had been given to the Mutsarcif of Katif to suppress piracy.
Colonol Nixon thon tolographed to Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Constautiuoplo
proposing tho employment of British ships-of-war, as he did not cousider that
the measures contemplated by tho Turkish authorities wero adequnto. Sir
A. Lnyard replied that tho Busrah authorities would be hold responsible for
tranquillity on tho Arab littoral of tho Gulf, and that the Miuistor
of Marino had directed tho Governor by telegram to send cither tho
Corvolto Broussa, or the guu-bont IsJcanderia, or both, if possible, to cruiso aloug
tho Nojd Coast. Ho added that three moro vessels were being fitted out for scrvico
in tho Gulf, and that a Naval Commander well spoken of would bo scut with
thorn.
Tolograms havo, howovor, sinco boon received from tho Resident, Persian
Gulf, reporting that pirates still continuo to molest vossols in Turkish waters,
and that both the Turkish mon-of-war havo brolcon down and arc under ropair
at Busrah. Information has also been received that tho Turkish Governor o
Katif scut a force by land agaiust tho village of El Nassim, about iivo miles Bom
Zahran. Tho village was destroyed and amno prisoners wero takon, hut. parti­
culars regarding the expedition and its objects arc uot yot known.