Page 236 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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146. The following instructions were sent to Colonel Ilerbort:—
" Do not discuss question with Pasha. Should ho refer to it, say you havo been informed
matter has boon referred to Constantinople, and in your opinion it would bo host for Pasha
to await orders thence.
“ Roport by telegraph anything you may ascertain regarding Pasha's instructions/'
147. Under cover of his lettor No. f J, dated 13th January 1872, Colonel
Pelly enclosed the translated purport of Alidhut Pasha’s reply to tho Bahrein
Chief. It was os follows:—
D*tcd4?VndiiS n>CIOTC'* ** Dushiro on 4tb January 1872.
Tranilatcd purport of a lettor from ITis tixostlBKOr Midhut PlBni, Qorcrnor-Ocncrnl of Eralr and Ncjd. and Com-
uiandir-in-Cbiof of the Gib Division of the Army, to Suns EBaudix-Ali, Chief of Bahrein.
,f I received, while at Lahsa, your letter dated Ramzan, written nfc a time when tho moat
respected Arif Bey, Chief of tho Coasts under the jurisdiction of tho Government of Husreh
and that of tho Peninsula of Arabia, visited Bahrein with several of the vessels of the Sultan's
Government, explaining tho circumstauces attending tho murdor of the messenger, and have
noted what you have therein set forth.
“ Tho importance of this subject demands a dear explanation, and renders it
necessary that I should scud you an explicit reply to your statements and the details conueoted
therewith.
“ This murdered messenger, who was of tho tribe of tho Beni Hajjir and a dependent
tho Turkish Government, had been engaged by tho Commander-in-Chief in Nejd, Nafid
Pasha, and was especially deputed to convey official letters to the Kayem Mukam of Gwuttur,
Jnssetn-bin-Sani. Ho was proceeding in a boat, but from stress of weather approached
the island of Bahrein, where he was seized, his letters taken from him and himself
killed.
" In your letter after acknowledging the fact of the occurrence of the murder, you men­
tion the reasons for the perpetration of this act to be—
“ Firstly, that two years ago, Nassir-bin-Mobarek attacked Bahrein and killed your father,
and that he had with him tbe Beni Hajjir tribe.
“ Secondly, you allege that the messenger aforesaid, on his arrival at Bahrein, three
months previous, declared he was one oE the Beni Hajjir who accompanied Nassir-bin-Mobarek
to Bahrein, and was one of those who killed vour father, and that the people on the south
end of the island on ascertaining this killed him in accordance with tho custom of the
Bedouins.
“ Taking it for granted that when Nassir-bin-Mobarek went to Bahrein he accompanied
those people who ventured to commit the acts in which the Beni Hajjir were implicated, and
taking it for granted also that the murdered messenger was also among the tribe, it is im­
possible for one to conceive that the messenger proceeding on service should assert that he
was at such a time with the tribe who committed tbe hostile acts, and was one of the murderers,
or confess to what may cause retaliatory measures against himself. This is sufficient to show
tbe falsity of the statement.
“ Apart from the above consideration we must hear in mind that this messenger was
entrusted with documents from one governmental authority to another, and allowing that
Bahrein was not a part of the Turkish dominions, and that tho people of that island were
not under Turkish jurisdiction or dependents of that Government, and that this man
was really a murderer: so long as he was a dependent of tho Government and the bearer of
important documents it would bavobcen in the first place necessary to permit him to convoy his
letters, to their destination, and afterwards to communicate wilh the Turkish Government
authorities in regard to tho accused, and punishment demanded, when, in accordance with the
requirements of justice, tbe accused, if convicted, would have received due punishment. But
if without any just cause this person is murdered in the manner stated, and afterwards it is
explained that he was with tho tribe who came to Bahrein and committed outrages, plunder,
and' murder, such a proceeding is in tbe highest degree absurd, contrary to justice, and a
deviation from the right course.
^ For example, if one or more of the people of Bahrein who frequent tho coasts of Busreb,
Kowait, Katif, Ojair,,and Gwuttur be murdered by the Arabs of those parts, and explanation
be required, it were to be said that the person or persons murdered wore of a tribe who at a
cectaiu time visited and plundered such a place, and wore related to those who murdered our
messenger, and such like excuses made, I would like to know whether such pleas would be
i accept
1 If both parties concerned are dependents of one and tho samo Government, the party who
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ventures to commit 6ucb an aot will bo considered a9 a murderer, and would bo required to
undergo punishment, or, even supposing one of the parties to be a foroignor, would not this
: