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taking possession of the property, and believed tho local influence of the Zeheyrs would carry
tbeir case against any evidence that might bo brought forward oil their side.
From what I can gleam from both sides, the case appears to he this :—Thirty years a«-o,
when the Turks and Montofigs joined together to reduce and plunder Zoboyr, the wealth and
prosperity of which had excited their cupidity, Sheikh Jabcr-cs-Subah of Kowcit was called
upou by the Turks to prevent any supplies getting toZohcyr by water. lie did this effectually ;
tho place was starved out, and had to surrender. Many of tho Zclicyrs and the wealthier
merchants of Zoloyr were murdered in cold blood, but amongst those who escaped was a
certain Yakub Zchoyr, who lied to Koweit and enjoyed Sheikh Jnher es-Sul»ah’s protection.
Abdullah-cs-Subah slates that while at Kowcit Yakub Znlioyr sold tho Saliyeh island, on hie
own account and on that of the other proprietors, to Jabcr-es-Subah for the sum of 12,000
sbaraio9, and that since that time ii has absolutely belonged to them, and their right to it * has
never been questioned. They possess title deeds drawn up at Kowcit.
Yakub-es-Zeheyr, it appears, died at Bussorah a year or two after his return from Koweit.
The Zeheyrs maintain that Yakub had only a share in the property, and that, if he really did
sell it, ho had no right to do so. They state that, they obtained a Buvcruldi m 1253 from the
Ali Pasha ordering Jaber to give up the land ; but that, as he was strong enough to resist
the Turks, he took no heed of the order. That thougli their title deeds wero lost in the sack
of Zobeyr, copies of the n, proving that five-eighths of tho Island of Saliyeh belong to them,
ex:st in the Bussorah Sijjil. That they arc prepared to prove by documentary evidence how
they have guarded against possession of fifteen years, constituting a title to Jaber's ownership,
by constantly ventilating their claim by appeals to the Turks, who would have enforced their
rights had their Government been strong enough. That independently of this their law docs not
hold possession of any number of years to constitute a title if claimants are infants or absentees,
and give their reason f< r bringing forward the claim now to be that the claimants have grown
up, and most of them (about 60 in number) are now at or near the place. I have seen.Ali
Pasha’s Buyeraidi, but as it is in the possession of the Zeheyrs, I imagine it could never
have been presented to Sheik Jaber. Without going into the merits, of the case, the rights
of which feem very doubtful, 1 think the high-handed one-sided measure taken by Suliman
Beg and his evident desire to bias and prejudge it in favour of the Zeliej rs the advantage which
has been taken by the Kaim Mukara of this unseasonable oppoitunity to resuscitate old
unproven claims of many yearys’ standing against the Koweit people for their real or suppi sed
appropriation of wrecked property, combined with the marktd in* ivility experienced by
Abdujlah-es-Subah and other Kowcit men in the streets and bazars since Abdullah’s detention
at the serai, cannot fail to have the effect of making the Koweit people letaliute when
opportunity offers.
Were it the object of Government to incite and foment the old prejudices and animosities
of the Zobeyr and Koweit people, and to lead them on to a quarrel w liich would probably end
in the devastation of two flaurishing little towns, they cou’d not devise better means of com­
mencing it than those taken by Suliman Bog. It may be the policy of the Turks to weaken
and subjugate these places, but I think it would be a short-sighted one, for, if it succeed, 1 do
not see that any advantage will accrue to the Government generally, though it might enrich
individuals. The end of such a quarrel must be that Koweit, if successful, would he more
independent than ever, and might give trouble, which it oanuot be accused of doing now : and
if it failed, the Turks would lo>c a flourishing little free port, whose existence without adding
directly is of considerable advantage indireo'ly to the revenue, for it is my firm conviction
that, rather than submit to a Turkish Government at Koweit, the people to a mau would
abandon the place.
Trifling as the case in point may appear, the rough and off-hand manner in which it has
been haudlcd is regarded by the Koweit people as a wish to bring them and the Zoberies into
collision; and strangely enough, though both sides have the experience of Tutkislt policy
in former years before them, they are perfectly ready to commence to victimise one another on
the slightest-encouragement or provocation. If Suliman Bog is not acting directly by the
Pasha’s orders, I think His Excellency would bo well advised to remove the trial of the case
away from a place where so much partiality ha6 been evinced from the outset.
I may mention incidentally that Abdullah-cs-Sub»h entreated me the other day not. to
.allow tbo Mail Steamer Euphrates to visit Koweit on her return from Bussorah, as he believ­
ed the 35 bal« 8 she had on hoard for Koweit would, in Suliman Beg’s report to tho Pasha,
be converted into a vast number, in order to show how much Kowcit took away from the
revenue of Bussorah. Tl e Penang Mail Steamer vKited Koweit in tho middle of last month,
and landtd about 100 bales there; since then Suliman Beg has been making enquiries m all
directions, and wr- te to Kowcit specially to be informed what she was doing there. As
Suliman Beg has seen me* twice, and a6 he knows I was on board the Penang, 1 think he
would, if he wanted correct information, have applied to me. His not having done so,
however, looks as if he was seeking material for an exaggerated report. As the Mail
Company engaged to land the RuphratePt 1 ales at Bussorah or Kowcit at the option or the
Captain, 1 complied with Abdullah-es-Subah’s request and caused the boles to be lanuea
here. The Euphrates, therefore, did not visit Koweit.