Page 226 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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Uttobeo conquerors of Bahrein. It will ho romombered that tho present Bahroin family
originally camo.from Koweit, hence perhaps tho attompt to establish Turkish supiomaey over
Biddch.
“ Biddch, it will bo scon, is on tho eastern 6ido of the Gwuttur Promontory, a placo to
which the requirements of tho Nejd Expedition can in no way requiro tho TuiIrish vismls to
go. The occupation of it seems to be quito contrary to tho spirit of tho assurances given both
by the Porto and the Pasha. It is no doubt the first step towards tho establishment' of
supromney over the tribes to the cast, whose towns, His Excellency will remember, have boon
• ?idf paragraph entored in tho local Turkish Gazette* as being
° 1 ” "6 '1 houses and g.irdf-ns of tho country of Nejd. Tho
Turks are too cunning to make any violent and
sudden assertion of their supromney over these regions. There is first the insinuation of the
Pasha that the assurancos given refer to independent tribes, of whom thore can be none in
Nejd ; + then the entry in official papers of
f Fide paragraph certain places ns dependencies of Nejd; then the
hoisting of the Turkish flag, and so forth. My own impression is, that tho Turks are muoh
more anxious to establish their supremacy along the coast then to reinstate Abdoolluh. Tho
establishment of tho Turkish ascendancy may be a good thing, or it may bo bad, but at all
events it involves a departure on our part from our past policy in the Gulf.”
106. No further correspondence passed on tho subject of the proceedings
at Bidaa, Government apparently preferring, in tho face of the explicit,
assurances of the Porte, to look upon tho hoisting of the flag as the act of an
unauthorized and irresponsible person.
Increase of the Turkish Naval Force in Persian Gulf.
107. In the Aden News-Report, dated 31st August, the following entry
was observed*
Secret, October, 1871, Noi. 64-57 (No. 64).
“ The Turkish Corvette Lebanon and the despatch boat Is&enderia, under Commodore
Arif Bey, arrived here on the 27th, and left for the Porsian Gulf on the 29th. The Com­
modore informed me that he commands the squadron oo the station extending from Maoulla
to Bussorah.”
The Assistant Political Resident, Bushire, telegraphed on the 15th
September:—
Ibid No. 66.
| Turkish Commodore Arif Bey stated in Muscat that Turkish Squadron in Persian Gulf was
to consist of 10 vessels. Name of vessels arrived at Bushire—Lebanon corvette, hkenderia
gun-boat.”
The Turks hod already oue corvette and three unarmed steamers in the
Gulf, and notwithstanding their assurances that, in regard to the Nejd Expedi­
tion, no maritime operations were intended, and that the ships were merely to
be transports.
108. The Resident at Aden had understood from the Turkish Commodore
that he was to call at Maculla and endeavour to induce the Chief of that place
to aooept and hoist Turkish colors. In 1868 the Government of India brought
to the notice of the Secretary of State the attempt of some Turkish officials to
establish an iufluenco there, and suggested that some representations might be
made through Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople, with a view to
restrain subjects of the Porte from exercising undue influence or pressure on
the Chief of Maculla, or threatening his independence. The Secretary of State
replied, in his despatches No. 10, dated 1st October and 19th November 1869,
that thishad been done, but Government were not informed of the result.
Representation addressed to Home Government regarding the above*—
109. On receipt of the above information regarding an increase to the naval
mdNo w. strength of the Turks in the Gulf, the
Government of India addressed the fol­
lowing representation to the Secretary of State on the subject:—
M ^or this intelligence we were by no means prepared, seeing that tho Turkish Government
had assured Her Majesty’s Ambassudor at Constantinople that no maritimo operations in tho
.Persian Gulf were contemplated, and that th« vessels then employed in that Gulf were only
^ntended as transports for tho oonvcyance of Turkish troops to some point on tho coast whence