Page 209 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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his vessels to his own waters, and he was bound by treaty, in 18G1, to refrain
from such acts of aggression in future. By tlio action of the British squadron,
towards Damdum the same year, ike refugee Sheikh Mahommed-bin-Abdullah
was forced to quit that place.
*15. Those strong measures elicited a rcmonstranco from the Turkish Gov-
Turkiah Protost against British pro- cmor General of Baghdad. Ho wanted to
ooodlnga, 1802. know by what right we had bombarded
Damau, a place which, as lying within the territory of “ Feysal Beg, the
Kaunmakatn of Nejd,” was “ part of the hereditary dominions of the Sultan.”
To which Her Britannic Majesty’s Consul-General at Baghdad replied that we
had hitherto “ always maintained direct relations with Amir Feysal as well as
with all the Chiefs and Principalities situated on tbe shores of the, Per>ian Gulf”;
that our paoiGc policy in the Gulf was well known, and that in the proseoution
of that policy wo “ had never acknowledged the authority or jurisdiction of
ar.y other State—an authority and jurisdiction moreover which assuredly the
Porte neither does exercise nor has over exercised in that quarter.” In report­
ing this correspondence to Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador at Constanti­
nople the Consul-General wrote as follows :—
tc Although it may not be denied that, since the Fgvpfiau invasion of Nejd in 1339-10,
Amir Feysal lias remained tributary to the Turkish authorities of Mecca, his tribut» being
n gaided probably as an oleriug to the head of the religion, it is certain that tho Poite has
never exercised any jurisdiction, or attempted to extend its authority over that country.
Were it otherwi-e, w*re a Turkish administration established capable of controlling the
1 rovince, restraining the Wahabis and their dependants from tho piiatioal practices for which
they were once so notorious, and finally of preventing or giving satisfaction for any breach of
international law. such a state of things might bo as conducive to good order, ns it would be
certainly less burdensome-to tho British Government than the maritime surveillance, which,
in the interests of commorco, the British Government is now compelled to maintain in the
Persian Gulf. But in point of fact, the Porte has not the power to punish or coerce its tribu­
tary ; not a single Turkish functionary exists in the country ; and to judge from my own
experience of the duties of the British Ro?ident in the Pt rsiau Gulf, I feel assured that, were
tho relations of that officer with the Amir of Nejd to he disturbed in a manner to withdraw
the Wahabi Coa«t from his immediate supervision, the effect must be highly prejudicial to the
policy which has hitherto obtained under the orders and sanction of Her Majesty’s Indian
Government in that quarter.”
46. In August of 1865 a combined force of Wahabis and Jenebak tribe
■British war against Amir Feysal, attacked and plundered tho Oman port of
a. d. isos. Soor, during which affair certain British
subject were sufferers. A remonstrance was accordingly addressed to the
Wahabi Amir, which failing to elicit satisfaction, a demonstration was made
by H. M. S. Highflyer off Katif aud Demau. At tbe latter place the opera­
tions were unsuccessful and unfavourable, but the forts of Soor were destroyed
and the Jenebah tribe punished. Before further measures could be taken, the
old Amir Feysal-bin-Turki died, For some years before his death he had
been incapacitated for work by blindness and feebleness, and the power had
been virtually exercised by his son ’Abdullah, who now. succeeded as Amir.

47. Abdullali-bin-Feysal lost no time in sending an agent named Mahom-
od- bin-Abdullah-bin-Mann h on a mis-
A. D. 1866.
sion to Bushire charged with friendly over-
turea to the British representative, and to convey the assurances of the new
Amir to the British Government that ho would pay due regard to British in­
terests in future. The Amir engaged to abstain from attacking Arab States in
friendly alliance with tho British Government, and to content himself with
receipt of- tho oustomary tribute from the Maskat State. These assurances
having been accepted by the British Government, no further action in reference
to past offences was taken.
48.-A. One of the grounds, on which the Porto based its claim to sovereignty
Ob Boloto title of award of Arabia by over the Arabian Peninsula was ex-
an Abbaaido Caliph to tho Porto. plained in a memorandum drawn by the
Mooro’s Frloia. Rev. Mr. Badger, of the conversation
Bocrot E., August 1683, Nos. 221*226.
whioh that gentleman had in Paris with
Al. do Romusat, tlio Fronoh Minister for Foreign Affairs and Server Pasha, then