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467. With a view to the suppression and prevention of such piracies, Major
Talbot, Political Resident in the Persian
Ibid, No. 207-
Gulf, in a letter to Colonel Mocklor pro
posed to obtain the consent of the Ottoman Government to the action of our
cruisers within the Katif waters, either in combination toith, or independently
of, its own vessels.
468. This suggestion was supported by Colonel Mockler, but Her Majesty’s
Government deemed it inadvisable to act
Secret E. May 1892, No*. 108-116, (No. 110).
upon it, and the following wero the instinc-
tions which the Foreign Office addressed to Sir Clare Ford in their Despatch
of March 1892 :—
" I have received Mr. Fane’s despatch No. 68, of the 25th February 1892, forwarding a
despatch addressed to him by tho Acting Consul-General at Baghdad on tho subject of piracy
in the Turkish waters of tho Persian Gulf.
Tho view of Her Majesty’s Government in regard to the action to be taken by the Com
manders of Her Majesty's steamships in cases of tho kind reported by Colonel Mockler, are I
contained in Earl Granville’s despatch to the Earl of Dufferin, No. 515, of 22nd July 1381, :
to which 1 have to refer Your Excclloucy.
In consequenco of the failure of the Porte to protect British and general commerce in the
Persian Gulf, and its refusal to make any special arrangements with Her Majesty’s Govern
ment by whioh Her Majesty’s steamships should be permitted to pursue pirates within Turkish
waters in places where the Sultan’s authority was nut well established, new instructions were
at that timo issued to British Naval officers. They were authorized in future, when necessary*
to take 6uch measures as th*y thought fit for the protection of British commerce and shipping
without reference to tho Sultan’s claims to territorial jurisdiction.
The attitude of Her Majesty’s Government in this matter should be explained to Colonel I
Mockler, and he should be infonned that they do not consider it advisable to invite the co-opera
tion of the Turkish authorities as suggested by Colonel Talbot, in his despatch of 31st December
189V’
459. These views wero duly communi
External A, June 1892, No*. 122-180.
cated to Colonel Mockler.
460. We had again to face the question of suppression of piracies in tho
Turkish waters oa 1892. The piracies noted in tho list below were reported:—
No. Date of occurrence. Particular* of the occurreoco. Biuabzi. i
!
1st May • •• A boat belonging to Hasan-bin-Hasan
of Bahrun proceeding to Katif put
into Darcin and plundered of 90
Krs. by 3 Bedouins.
%• • 21st May 2 Katif Shoots were seized at Ramus Mahhoraed-bi n-A b d u
by 30 Beni Ilajirs, under Salim Wahab roscued the
bin-Yatiinah. boats.
• •• 6th June 25 Beni Hajirs seized a buggalaw A Turkis war boat sent
at Katif and plundered a boat of in pursuit, but return
Mansur-bin-Juma of Katif of cargo ed, as the pirates
gear, etc., 11s. 1,300 in cash. escaped.
September A party of Beni Hajir boarded a Turkish troops were
Ml
Persian boat from Hasinch, which scut in pursuit, and
was breached at Katif. They killed 10 robbers captured,
tho Nacnda, wounded two of the but none of the boats
orow and carriod oil 700 dollars. recovered.
* Sco paragraph* 431 and 435 supra.
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