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131
raako, as ho must, be guided by the conditions which the Bahaih aro willing to accept. lie
cannot accopt loss than the surrender to hitn of Hire* of iho implicated persons, and he may
leave tho families of the other 21 murdered persons to settle their feuds as best they can if the
Bahaih decline to pay blnod-monoy. Of course, if tho Chief can obtain tho surrender of three
of the murderers, it puts him in a position which will enable him to dictate to the tribe ; and
even if he cannot obtain full compensation for bis murdered subject", ho will be able to effect
a settlement which will put a stop to the feud so far as his own family is concerned. I sco no
ronton, therefore, why the Chief should not pro coed to negotiate with the* tiibe through
Sheikh Ahmed, but I do not propose to suggest this course to him until L receive your further
instructions in the matter.”
492. As regards the suggestion contained in tho last paragraph of Colonel
md. No. 132. Kemball’s letter No. 4-S A., dated 6th
June, the Secretary of State was asked
(telegram dated tho 6th October 1902) :—
" Have you any objection to Sheikh of Bahrain being authorized to negotiate with
Behaih tribe through Sheikh Ahmed-bin-Thani of lva'ar? This seems to be only means of
gaining redress short of allowing Sheikh to seek his revenge by force'*
493. It would bo well to quote here Lord Curzou's note dated the 12th
May 1902, on which the sentence italicised is based—
*f Wo have wasted 12 years in futilo efforts to get the Porte, or the Wali, or .the I
Kairaraakara to make amends. No Turk ever makes amends unless he is forced to. The
Sublime Porte announces that every effort will be made to arrest tho cul|rits Yes; and all
tho efforts will be unsuccessful. We know tho game well. If the Sheikh is willing to com­
promise for pecuniary compensation, well and good. If not, I cannot, soo why we should not
let him take action, provided he is strong enough to do it effectually.”
494. There was only one difficulty, the Government of India thought, iu the
way of the suggestion to negotiate a settle­
Rid. Nos. 129 nod 131.
ment through Sheikh Ahmed-bin-Thani,
namely, that if it wore adopted, it might lead to complications in connection
with the recommendation made by Colonel Kemball, in regard to the desire of
the Sheikh to come under British protection. Colonel Kcmball however
thought that no such difficulty need be apprehended.
496. The Secretary of State too saw no objections to the proposed negotia­
tions. The Chief of Bahrein was accord­
Rid. Noi. 130 nod 137.
ingly authorized to negotiate direct with
the Behaih tribe, through Sheikh Ahmed-bin-Thani of Katar.
496. In despatch of the Secretary of State, No. 24-(Secret), dated-6th June
1902, attention was also drawn to an
Ibid, No. 127.
opinion expressed by the Turkish Minister
Rid. No. 127, Encloiuro2, Sub*ouclosuro 2. to Sir O’Conorto the offect that— 1
:
“ As a matter of fact the whole affair is the consequence of the murder of Sheikh Rashid-
bin-Mekaiarikh by the Dowasir tribe and ia tho usual vendetta to which the tribes always
resort on this ocoasion, it is the Bahreincse who have bc°n tho cause of the occurrence ; without
appealing to tho Government, they ought not to havo gone shooting in that distiict.”
497. On this point, Mr. Gaskin reported
Rid. No. 131, Enclosure.
(letter No. 178,dated21th August 1902):—
In 1898, four Amamerah tribesmen accompanied a party of Dawasirs to Thahran to
bunt, and the two parties went down tho coast below Ojair where the Amamerah separated to
go after gazelle, and wore attacked by four Bahaih Arabs who killed one of them . named
Abdallah-bin-Mahomcd and woundod two named Mahom d and Rashid, sons of Majid, aud
took their rifles. In the following year the two sons of Majid mentioned above and another
named Gaith-bin-Rashid of thft same tribe crossed over with twoothorsto hunt and to look
out for any Bahaih tribesmen, and they fell in with some grazing camols attended by a young
son of Sheikh Rashid-bin-Magarih Sheikh «»f Bahaih, and they took tho opportunity to
kill tho boy in tho placo of Abdullah-bin Mahom-d. It will be soen from these facts
that the Dawasir have no blood-feud with tho Bahaih to adjust. After tho assassination ^of
tho son of Shoikh Raohid, tho latter camo over to Bahrein and made a sotileraent with
Shoikh Hamid, tho eldest son of tho Chief of Bahrein, to put addo all further hostilities
between him and the Amamorahs.
11 No Amnmerahs accompanied Shoikh Sclraan on the hunting expedition whioh proved
so.disastrous to hiipsolf and his followers; and the fact that tho camp of the Dawasirs whioh