Page 325 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

1

127

474 His Exccllonoy Sir 0. Drury’s loply was as follows (letter dated 2-tli
April 1903) :—
“ In roply to your confidential letter No. 075-E., of the 16th April, bo pleased to
inform Hi* Exoollcncy tho Viceroy in Council that I consider that the agreement made
with th*» Sheikh of Bahrein iu 1H61, to abstain from an)’ act of aggression or retaliation by
sea should still be adhered to as, if it was cancelled, complications might easily arise.
I would dcsiro to point ont that in my opinion the results achieved by the use of armed
dbowB in tho Gulf of Aden have not been as g.cat a success as is generally supposed, and it
is very demoralising service for officers and men.
Th« b<st cnur.'O appears to me to be that I should be informed every year when the
pearl fishery is to begin and end, and I would then endeavour to arrange for a guu*boat to
police those waters during the time tho fishery was beiug carried out.
If it is decided that an armed dhow is necessary, I am of opinion that she should I
be cornmandod by a Royal Indian Marine otBcor who would require a commission from the
Admiralty ; the vosscl would lly tho white ensign and be under the orders of tho Naval
Commandor-in-Chief on this station, and bo a tendered to the Senior Naval Officer's ship iu
the Persian Gulf.
She might be provided and maintained by the Sheikh of Bahrein and partly manned
by his subjects, ;ib his interests are primarily affected, but he could have absolutely no control
over her movements and aotions on the high seas.
With regard to prragraph 8 of vour letter, the Consul Gener<il at Berber.! has recently
bought and equipped two armed dhows, and oould give you all details, so as to enable
an estimate of tho c<»st of one to be arrived at.
As far as I am aware, they havo each one 3 pounder quick-firing gun. Two Europeans,
one as Captain and one as Mate. The Captain receives £ 120 a year.
The sorvices of his dhows nro confined to tho territorial waters of British Somaliland.
The dhows recently employed by the Royal Navy in the Gulf of Aden for the suppression
of the arms traffio were hired by us at tho rate of R6. 225 a month, which included the services
of the native crew.
The guns, fittings, etc., were supplied by the ships to which the dhows were
attached.”
475. "When Lord Curzon visited Bahrein and had an interview with the
chief on 20th November 1903, the lattor said that there had been no piracy in
the year, and he did not mention tho matter of the armed dhow then or later.
Rear Admiral Atkinson Willes told His Excellency that the difticulty was that
an arrnod dhow under tho Sheikh could not operate beyond his territorial
waters. The admiral suggested that the Government of India shamed arm, the
dhow, if this was really requirod. Lord Curzon agreed that tho matter might
stand over till we knew if wo should have to strengthen our agency nt Bahrein
in view of the customs arrangements and the settlement of foreigners on the
island (aeo extract of Mr. Dane’s note, dated 27th November 1903, on page 18
of Secret E., January 1904, Nos. 118-139.)
476. So far as the Turkish Government is concerned, it appears from Mr.
Crow’s report, dated 17th August 1903,
Bncl. to Pro. No. 138.
that the Mutassarif of Hasa took measures
for the Porsian and capturo of Ahraed-bin-Salman, but without any success,
and that he had fled towards Kowoit side. His break by default before the
Court of Cessation in Nejd was proceeding at the timo.
477. In March 1903 a largo body of tho Bchaik Arabs came to a place
called Tliaran, south of Katif, whose
No. 138.
object, it was feared, was to commit
piracies on the pearl fishing boats and other boats, plying between Bahrein,
Katif and Ojair. The chief of Bahrein asked for permission to attack them
with the double purpose of taking revenge and getting the coast rid of their :
presence. The Political Resident was opposed to this request being granted, ;
but suggested that might be given the permission alluded to in the last f
paragraph of his letter No. 167, dated 8th December (Telegram dated 22nd
May 1903).
j
478. The Government of India tele­
No. 139.
graphed back to him on 26th May—
"Bahrein chief must iv'fc attack Behaik Arabs. If Babroin is threatened or' thero
is risk of serious piracies, naval nuthoiitics should be askod to take neoessary precautions.." I