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Trnoial Chiefs betweon Odiod and Ras-el Khyma; (i) to recognize the territories of the Sheiks
of Bahrein as under the protection of Great Britain; and (c) in case of piracies from within it
jurisdiction) to oufoico restitution of plundered property, aud payment of compensation.
“ Her Majesty’s Scorotary of Stato for Foreign Affairs observes, with reference to thoso
proposals, that in the absenoo of inducements the Porte is not likely to assent to the suggested
limitations of its sovereignty or jurisdiction, or to independent action of another power in
territory or wators admitted to the Turkish. Lord Salisbury, therefore, suggests that it would
bo more practical, and moro in accordance with usage, that having settled for ourselves the
limits withia which Turkish jurisdiction may ho cxercisod, and beyond which it whould be
rejected or oppised, we should, as a general rule, look to the Turkish authorities to exercise a
proper police in those limits, only sanctioning tho action of British cruisers in Turkish watera
under spociul circumstances, when the consent of the local authorities has been obtained.
“The principal objection to the course recommended by tho Government of India
appears to Lord Cranbrook to bo that it involves a provious understanding with the Porte
which Ilis Lordship agrees with Lord Salisbury in thinking 6carcoly possible of attainmout
Apart from the notorious difficulty of negotiation with the Turkish Government upoa any
subject, the past correspondence in refercnco to Nejd and Bahrein indicates that upon this
particular question that. Government is likely to be found specially impracticable, and that it
is hopeless to expect that the Porto could be induced to record, in even the most informal
diplomatic documont, its assent cither to limitation of its authority in Atabia or to anything
like a joint maritime protectorate with tho British Government along uny part of the coast,
and, still less, to an exclusive British protectorate over Bahrein.
“ It must further, from past experience, be regarded as very improbable that any under­
taking on the paifc cf tho Turkish Government to enforce from third parties restoration of
plundered property and payment of compensation would he operative in practice. On this
point, the complete absence of result from the representations made at Constantinople in 1876
and 1877, in referenoe to the cases of the British Indian subjocis, Cheyla and llama, and the
attack on an Abuthnbi boat in the harbour of El Bidaa, aro significant.
“ Lord Cranbrook, on the other hand, fears that the oourse suggested in Sir J. Pauncefote’s
letter of the 23rd August, while it would probably be little less distasteful to the Porte than
that proposed by the Government of India, would fail to attain tho object in view.
“If adopted, the authority and responsibility of the Turkish Government would be recog­
nized as complete within certain territorial limits to be fixed by ourselves, and would be wholly
disallowed beyond these limits.
“ The limit of Ottoman jurisdiction along the coast, if it it to be defined at all, could
scarcely be fixed at any point north of Ojair, which is opposite the southern extremity of the
island of Bahrein ; but it is precisely between that spot and Kateef that, since the settlement of
the Beni l'as at Odeid was broken up in 1678, the operations of the piratical tribes have been
carried on with almost complete impunity. Upon this point Lord Cranbrook would invite Lord
Salisbury's attention to Colonel Ross’ letter of the 8thMay, enclosed in Government of India’s
despatch No. 91 of the 28th July last, whioh was communicated to the Foreign Office on the
6th instant.
“ His Lordship apprehends that the effect of Formally recognising any particular
part of the Arab coast aud tho wators adjacent as Turkish, aud as, in consequence, closed
against British cruisers, 60 far as action against piratical oraft is concerned, would be the
formation of an asylum which would be taken advantage of by marauders in general, whom the
local Ottoman authorities would be unable to control without a considerable and permanent
increase to the Turkish naval force in the Gulf, which the Porte had declared itself precluded
from making by considerations of expense, and which would be open to many objections on politi­
cal grounds.
“ The conclusion, therefore, to which Lord Cranbrook is led is that negotiation or discussion
with the Porte on the territorial question should be avoided; but that, in order that the
obligations contracted by the Government of India towards the Sheikh of Bahrein and the
parties to the maritime truco may be efficiently fulfilled, the Resident in the Persian Gulf
should be authorized to adopt all necessary measures for the preservation of the peace of the seas,
without regard either to Turkish pretensions to sovereignty over the whole Arab coast, or to the
recognition of Ottoman supremacy by individual Chiefs, such as the Sheikh of El-Bxdaa, or to
the presence of Turkish officials at isolated points.
“ It seems to Lord Cranbrook that Her Majesty’s Government have a right to regard the
foot of particular ports being used as bases for piratical attacks, and certain tribes being en­
gaged in thoso attacks, as prinui facie evidence that such ports and such tribes are not under
tho effective control of the Ottoman Government, and that they would be justified in issuing
instructions to thoir officers in accordance with this viow.
“ Lord Cranbrook is further of opinion that, having rogard to tho repeated assurances
given by the Turkish Government in 1871-72, at the timo of the operations in Nejd, that no
interference with tho littoral tribes was intonded, and to the as often ropeated declaration of
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