Page 39 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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"On tho 4:th, I Bont ilia bont9 in charge of Lioutcn^nt Long to shell the fort of Demaum
at high-water, nnd, if possible, breach tho wall, Vut tho water was so shallow ho was unable .to
approach noar enough to do so, he, however, must have dpuo considerable damage to tho interior
of tho fort nnd its dofenders.”
106. Tho Highflyer rejoinod tho Resident at Maskat on tlio 9th Feb­
ruary, and on receiving Captain Pasley’s report of tho operations before
Domaum, it appeared to Colonel Pcllv more than over necessary that a prompt
and sovero example should be made of those Arabs (of the Jenebah tribe) who
were implicated with tho Wahabis in the plunder and murder of our subjects
at Sur. There were other reasons too which called for the punishment of the
Jenebah. They had long been notorious among our Naval Officers as the most
cruel and.unscrupulous slavers and pirates. They were.among the Arab slave-
dealers who had conspired in 1801 to assassinate the British Agent at Zanzibar
for his anti-slavory proceedings. It was also believed that they were concerned
in the murder of three seamen of H. M's. S. Wasp who had disappeared in one
of their craft a few months before. The Sultan of Maskat was assured of their
criminality and bad himself proceeded to Sur five or six months previously
with the intention of punishing them, but lie was suddenly obliged to return to
Maskat owing to the detection of a conspiracy to dethrone him. Colonel Polly
had also in the preceding month sent the Berenice to Sur with a letter
addressed to the heads of the Jenebah tribe, demanding from, them the payment
of 27,000 dollars as compensation for the property plundered by them from
British subjects, and warning them that measures would be taken to enforce
the demand if not speedily complied with. Their reply, however, was “that
on a former occasion when Lieutenant Pengclly threatened a tribe on the
Coast nothing was done, and that they were quite sure the Resident would not
come now.”
Letter to'Government, No. 9, dated tbo 12tli Matters were in this position wrote
February 18C6. Colonel Pclly.
u When Highflyer arrived at Maskat on the 9th instant with a roport of her repulse at
, .. .. . . ... . Demaum, and then it seemed to me moro than
•Yon have paid no attention to my previous letter • ’ , , ,
to you. nor have you satisfied tl.o just demands ever necessary. to give a prompt and severe example
'therein made. I now warn you forthwith to romove with Highflyer. Accordingly I started at once
all non-combatauti from any buildings, whether “Berenice” taking the Maskat "VVazir with
town, villago or what not in tbo neighbourhood or •
your fort nnd shipping, as it is my intention to me, and on arrival at Sur sent tho appended
«ttack you at noon, six hours from this time. letter* to the tribe.
u Highflyer joined me on the morning of the 11th, and her firo was to open at noon;
at 11 A.M. tho Chiofs tame aboard to mo to ask for delay till tho spring when their craft from
Jeddah would return. At noon Captain Paslcy fired a gun every half hour, thus giving a
further caution to all non-combatants round the forts and shippiug to clear out, and it was
arranged with a neighbouring Chief that he might shelter these.
“At 1 P.u. Captain Paslcy opened fire on the forts, utterly ruining thorn.
“ At day break in the morning of the 12th Ilighjlyer’s boats went up tho Sur creek in
cliargo of Lieutenant Long and destroyed or confiscated evory Suri craft; burning also a*
large quantity of ship-timber. Somo of the tribe showed in the distanco, but they were com­
pletely awed by tho fire.
“I beg to append Captain PaslcyVreport of proceedings, in original, and beg to draw the
attention of Government to the complete and skilful manner in which Captain Paslcy and the
officers and men undor his command have inflicted this severe punishment on tho Suri
Jenebah tribe in their own creek and nest. This tribo number some six thousand fighting
men, reputed the bravest and most cruel of littoral Arabs.
“Owing to a shift of wind during the operations, a small part of the temporary huts of
the town .caught fire, but this acoident was wholly unavoidable, and no great damage is done
to the Town.
“ All non-combatants had cleared out boforo tho attack.”
107. Tho Highflyer returned to Bombay on tho 18th February, bringing
, fMlnuto by His Excellency tbo Governor, con. ^itli hor Lioutenant-Colonel Felly's dcs-
curred in by tho Uonourablo Hoard, dated tho 21th patcllOS OH which His .Excellency tllO GOV*
Fcbruuy lboo. ornor rocorded tho following Minutef -
“ I think tho aoknowlodgraents of Government avo due to Captain Paslcy and tho officers
and men of the Ilighjlyer, for tho ouorgy aud ability with which all theao operations wore
carried out.”