Page 246 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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from Ojair to Lahsa. This report is confirmod by tho appcaranco of tho Pasha’s steamer pass­
ing towards Ojair this morning.
“ 2nd.—That tho Turkish Commodoro isordcrod by tho Pasha to hold ono of his vessels in
readiness off Katif, to send a second back toBusrch for supplies, aud to proceed himself in a
third to Bubreiu in viow to meeting mo and for other business.
"3rr/.—1That tho report of tho flight of His Highnoss Abdullah togothor with his son,
Toorkce, from Lahsa towards Riadh is reliable. It further appears that Mis Highness’ brother,
Mahomed, had left Lahsa a fow days previously; and that Abdullah loft a letter for the
Turkish Commander stating that the Turkish force having been professedly organized for his
(Abdulah'e) restoration to power, had boon utilizod to supplant both himself and his dynasty ;
and that ho would, therforo, no longer trust Turkish aid or promises."
170A. On tlio 23rd November Colonol Pelly wrote :—
"Yesterday evoning tho Turkish Commodoro anchored with a corvette and a gun vessel in
tho Bahrein harbour. Ho hoisted the Turkish flag at bis mQn and fired a salute of 21 guns.
On being asked with the usual etiquette by our Senior Naval Officer as to whom tho salute was
intended for, he replied that he was saluting the forts on shoro, and that as he had no Arab
flag on board he had hoisted the Turkish flag. He added that ho had done tho same at
Muscat.
“ To-day the Commodore and I exchanged visits, and he was by no means reticent concern­
ing tho expedition to Nejd. He said that the Pasha of Baghdad had proceeded to Lahsa for
the purposo of enquiring into somo complaints of allege^ corruption, of sottling tho Government
at Lahsa, and of arranging for tho advance of the expedition to the Wahabi capital. It was
unlikely that tho Pasha would himself accompany the Expedition to Itiadh, but Fercck Pasha
the Commandcr-in-Chicf, would in all probablity move the Lahsa force there during the
present winter. The Commodore estimated the Lahsa force at from 9 to 10,000 men indepen­
dently of irregulars. He said that the recent defeat of Saud had been decisive; that Abdulah
and bis brother had escaped; and that the Turkish Government would now probably depute a
person of rank from Constanlionple as Govcrnor-Ceucral of tho Wahabee territory. He
admitted that the Expedition bad been costly, and that permanently holding the country could
never pay, but he deemed the principal object of the Porte to bo to rid themselves of Wahabi
annoyances to pilgrims passing across Arabia to and from Mecca ; to accomplish this, he said,
concerned the Sultan in his capacity of head of the Mussulmau religion.
"The Commodore alleged that tho road between the coast lino and Lahsa is now so safe
that single postmen pass along it. Ho ndded that it was the intention of the Pasha to erect a
new town in the neighbourhood of Katif. He bad himself accompanied * the Pasha in an
excursion, for the selection of a site, and the Pasha bad chosen a position about four miles
distant from the present fort of Katif, where sweet water is plentiful, and the surrounding
country open.”
172. Referring to Koweit the Commodoro informed Colonel Pelly that
the Chief had been regularly installed there on the recent visit of the Pasha,
and that Koweit was declaredly under Turkish protection.
173. In a letter of the 4th December Colonel Pelly wrote:—
" Midhut Pasha arrived at Lahsa about eight days ago, and is said to have expressed
dissatisfaction with the Commander of the Turkish Forces on account of the escape of
Abdullah bin Feysul.
** Meantime all reports concur in alleging that Abdullah has reached his capital Riadh,
whence, as it is said, ho has addressed a letter to the Turkish authorities complaining that,
whereas they entered his country with his consent, and for the concerted object of reinstating
him in power, they had practically placed him under restraint and purposed supplanting his
dynasty by direct Turkish Rule; that he had now escaped; but was still willing to pay
trihute and arrange matters, provided the Porte should acknowledge him as Imam of the
Wahabi territories; but that, failing this, ho would endeavour to hold his owu, and that
Nejd was a country not easy either to take or to hold.”
173A. A notification was issued by Midhut Pasha that tho al Saud had
ceased to reign and that Nafiz Pasha was appointed Mutessarif of Nejd.
174. Colonel Herbert in a letter of the 3rd January 1872 reported tho
return of Midhut Pasha to Baghdad ou tho 28th December. Tho Pasha brought
hack a great number of invalid soldiers from El Hassa and Katif. Colonol
Herbert wroto:—
“ The state of the garrisons at El Ila^sa and Katif is reported to be very bad, sickness
prevails among tho troops a great extent, and their numbers m o said to bo so much reduced
that Nafiz P.iwlia is comp filed to uot purely on tho defensive, and can hardly ropulso tho fre­
quent raids of i he Arabs, who, it seems, continue to liai ass tlioin oven in tho absence of the
principrl Chiefs.