Page 132 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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236. On 25th March Colonel Komball telegraphed :—
<f 1 hoar from Gaskin that Muhammad Abdul Waliab, who ha9 lately roturned to
j.o Bahrain from El Ilnssa, told him that Governor
of that place has received a loiter from Wall,
Basrah, to tho effect that Turkish Government has abandoned idea of making Kat-iina
torminus German Railway. Um-Kasr has been chosen instead/1
237. On the 6amo day Colonel Kemhall again telegraphed that ho had
learned that the Turks would very soon
No. 399.
occupy Subbya in spite of presence of
ShoikhVmen.
238. In his letter No. 42, dated tho 28th February 1902, Colonel Kemhall
reported as promised in his telegram of
No. 341.
25tli February 1902 :—
“ The Senior Naval Officer has been good enough to furnish me with a map, herewith
submitted, showing the position of the various localities. The place Um-Kasr is evidently the
place mentioned by Colonel Pclly, vide paragraph 12b of his letter No. 67, dated 13th April
1863, as Moom Gussar, a small port, “ situated at the head of the Khor Abdullah near Bunder
Zobair," which was formerly occupied by the progenitors of the Sheikhs of Koweit and from
which they were, according to Colonel Pclly, expelled by the Bassorah authorities, now nearly
300 years ago. Mubarak, however, informed me that it was more recently occupied by Koweit
people in the time of his grandfather Sbcikh Jabar, and the fact of the ruins of what was
apparently a fort then remaining seemed to bear this out. In paragraph 135 of the same
letter Colonel Pelly etated : u Koweit lias a fine broad channol of creek water running from
its bay up to within 12 miles of the Hasrch point of the river. I landed close alongside the
Zobair Bunder in four fathoms ; and this was the least water I found in a mid-channel of an
average width of one mile from tho Koweit end of the creek up to its head within sight of the
date trees of the Shat-cl-Arab near Basreh. The cutting of the canal across these 12 miles .of
flat soil would bo a work of little cost and labour/' Our existing charts of this locality
appeared to be very incomplete and I had hitherto been unable to clearly understand Colonel
Polly’s meaning. The broad channel of crock water up which Colonel Polly went, must, 1
think, be tho Khor Subbiya which leads directly into the Zobair crock, on which Um-Kasr is.
The remarks made by Colonel Pclly in paragraph 20 of his report No. 57, dated 15th May
1866, regarding the Khor Abdullah and Zobair creek, and the possibilities of the latter place ia
connection with a railway lino to tho Mediterranean, arc also of great interest.
I havo already reported to the Government of India that both Safwan and Um Kasr are
olaimed by the Sbcikh of Koweit as within his territory. With regard to Safwan, I am not in
a position to form an opinion, but it scorns to me that his claim to Um-Kasr may be more
11
E valid. It hos been, 1 understand, for very many years an uninhabited spot, and has been
! used by Koweit people as a port for Bussorah. At any rate, even if Mubarak's claims to t le
place are very 6trong, the Turkish claim would not appear to be much stronger, and the recen
occupation by them would seem to be abroach of the status quo.
With regard to Bubiyan island, the establishment of a Turkish post on this island at the
entrance to the Khor Abdullah cannot, I think, be viewed with equanimity by us. Mubara '
has written lo roe on the subject of this place, and states that the island, like Failaka Islan ,
belongs to him, and that the Avazem tribe who arc subject to him have boon living there since
: the occupation of Koweit. This tribe, he says, have fishing enclosures there, and reside on
the island for seven months during the summer ".
239. Ia his letter No. 60, dated I6th March 1902, Colonel Kemhall modo
No. 388. further remarks in continuation of liis tele­
gram of lGtli March 1902:—
£«jj£WK
=

but which, the Sheikh of Kowofc cf »W uninhabited and probably uninhabitable,

I: troops is viewed by Sheikh ATi., ul)a^,ori. ^ose places by tho Turks. The advance of Turkish
undoubtedly been thereby J- •i "il11 concom: his prestige as Sheikh of Kowoit has
ent ruler will be considerably uJki aDm,lfc Wcars to that his position as an independ-
= the Nakih of Basrah reccnliv ?°vornmont of India will bo aware tbijt when
and considering whether it wm.1,1 C,J V10 Sheikh was evidently wavering in bis mind
the Turks. The crisis was flu n°* He *°.ils interest to *nako the host lorma ho could with
was then averted owmg to the presence at Koweit of Ilia Majesty'* «hij»«