Page 111 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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136. Tho "Viceroy replied that from the correspondence reforrod to above,
it would bo soon that the advice to keop quiet had already beeii given by Colo­
nel Koinball to tlio Sheikh and declined by the latter.
137. As had bcon anticipated, hostilities were soon renewed between Ibn
No. 104 of Socrot E., Febnurj i90i. No.. 22- Rashid and Sheikh Mubarak and his parti
107. zans. On the 3rd January l'JOl. Consul
Wratislaw reported to Mr. dc Bunsen, that from letters received from tho Sheikh,
it appeared that Abdur Rahman had attacked Abdul Aziz’s men and defeated
them but that information from Nejd sources denied tho truth of this and
pointed to a movement of Abdul Aziz’s forces towards Koweit.
138. Sheikh Mubarak appears to have finally left Koweit at the commence­
ment of the month of February leaving behind Jabor, his son, in charge of the
administration. Ho took with him Abdur Rahman bin Fcysul and Adbul’s
son, Abdul Aziz, and a largo number of tribesmen, who had sided with Abdul
Rahman. On the 12th February they were reported to he within one day’s
march of Riadh. That town was captured about the middle of the month of
February and all tho tribes of Nejd having tendered their submission, Sheikh
•Abdul Aziz bin Feysul was installed as Governor of Riadh. Sheikh Hatnud’s
sons, cousins of Ibn Rashid, also sued for peace. From Riadh, Sheikh Mubarak
marched against Hayil, and met Ibn Rashid in battle, but was utterly defeat­
ed. It was reported at first that lie had been killed. "When tho Secretary
of State heard this report, ho ordered that Colonel Kcmhall should proceed
at once to Koweit to ascertain facts, and in case the report proved true ho
should report on it. A telegram sent by the Consul at Basrah to Sir ft. O’Conor
proposod that we should conclude an agreement with Jaber, who would pro­
bably succeed Mobarak, supposed to have been killed.
139. Before Colonel Komball left for Koweit, news reached him that Mu­
barak had returned to Koweit on the 31st
No. 164 of Secret E., Jane 1901, Noi. 118—230.
March. Colonel Kemball left for Koweit
on 13th April by the 11 Lawrence ” and had an interview with Mubarak. The
Sheikh gave him a confused account of the fighting and wished him to believe
that he had defeated Ibn Rashid. But Colonel Kemball observes—
“ As to Sheikh Mubarak’s account of the fighting it is impossible to credit it. There is
absolutely no doubt that bo had received a severe check, nud in ail probability his forces had been
deflated and dispersed. The following account of the fighting which I obtained whilo at
Koweit through a sourco which I believe to be fairly reliable may be of interest :—
After Mubarak had penetrated as far as Riadh and Aridh, he appears to have received
promises of assistance from certain of the Bedouin tribes under tho Amir of Nejd, and further
to have come to an understanding with Rabeda, the Chief of tho Aneyza, who, with the people
of Boreyda, promised to assist him in case of need. Thus encouraged he set out for Hayil,
having with him some 5,000 men, not including the Bedouins belonging to Ibn Rashid who had
joined him. When he arrived within a short distance of Iiayil, he was attacked by the Amir of
Ncjd on the 25th Zilkada, corresponding to the 17th March. The fight, it is said, lasted only
about an hour and a half when Sheikh Mubarak was defeated, the Bedouins of Nejd who were
with Sheikh Mubarak promptly seizing tho occasion to turn round and plunder his camp. The
Amir followed in pursuit, hut desisted on the appearance on the scene of Rabeda with 400 horse­
men to asssist Sheikh Mubarak. Ibn Rashid then proceeded to Boreyda, where it is said that he
seized Rabeda, and killed him and his son, and inflicted a fino ol 30,000 dollars on the place
The casualties on Mubarak’s side aro said to have been very heavy, some 2.000 having been
killed in action or subsequently perished in tho desert; whilo on tho Amir's sido about 400 are
said to have been killed, including his brother ’Talal, two of his cousins and some of his
principal Chiefs. Mubarak’s brother Haraud and his cousin Khalifah-bin-Abdullah Sabah were
also amon" tho killed. It is impossible to vouch for the accuracy of the accouut given above,
but I bolieYc it to be moro rcliablo than the account given to me by Sheikh Mubarak who,
as will be shown below, is obviously interested in keeping secret tho extent of his disaster.
Mubarak arrived in Koweit on the 31st March, whilo of the 1,200 porsous who aro said to
havo originally accompanied him out of Koweit itsolf only a few, amounting, it is said, to 103
persons, bad returned to Koweit at the timo of my visit. Abdur Rahman bin Feysul is said
to be in Koweit, though Muburak told mo he was out sido the town, whilo Sheikh Saduu with
about 700 men is in camp.about 10 miles distant from Koweit ”.
140. Moksin Pa9lia bad remained comparatively inaotive since his diplo-
Noa. 187.188, 193,131, 195 of Secret E., Juno matic SUCCOSS of NoVOmbor, but the dofeat
looi, Noi. 118—230. of Aiubavak now brought on Turkish in­
terference in a moro acute from. A Turkish Field Marshal (Mohamed Pasha)