Page 121 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Part V—Ohap. XXV. 99
13. Wq have direotcd Major-Qonoral Sir William Grant Keir to roduoo the force under
his oommand and to return it to the Prosidonoy at a? early a period as praoticablo retaining,
until furthor orders, a battalion of Nativo Infantry at Kialnn, or at any other eligible
island under a etriot injunction not to admit of tho troops occupying any position on the
main.
14. Tbo presenco of this forco will in our opinion produco a very salutary impression in
overawing any disposition in tho Joassmos or any other tribo, after the reduction of their
port, to prosecute piracy, by manifesting to tbo different petty States that our views are not
limited to tho mere reduotionof Knasul-khima and tho destruction of the piratical boats;
bat extond to the prosecution of arraugoinonts of a more permanent nature.
Wo have the honour to be, eta.,
M. ELPHINSTONE,
CHARLES COLVILLE,
ALEXANDER BELL,
G. L. PRENDERGAST.
Bombay Castlb;
The 15th Peoember 1819.

207. The following is the despatch sent to His Majesty’s Charge
d* Affaires at Tehran (Henry Willock) on 15th December 1819, which is referred
to it in the despatch to the Marquis of
Page 70 qf Volume 52-49 of 1820-1821.
Hastings (paragraph 11) :—
1. The Right Hon’blc Sir Evan Nepean communioated to yon in his letter, dated the
9 th of Ootober last, the necessity whioh has impelled tbo British Government to equip a force
for the reduotion of tho piratical powers in the Gulph of Persia; aud having entered into a
consideration of the measures which it may he expedient to adopt for the purpose of rendering
the result of this second armament permanently promotive of the seourity of its navigation,
I have the honour of transmitting to you, as affording the beat view of the nature of the
arrangements which we oontemplate for that purpose, the copy of a despatch from this
Government to His Exoellenoy the Most Noble the Governor*Geceral in Council on the
subject.
2. I anticipate the difficulties whioh you may experience in satisfying the Persian
Government that our object ie limited exclusively to- the suppression of piracy, particularly
under the reports which have been propagated as alluded to in some of your despatches to His
Exoellenoy the Governor-Geueral, that we were desirous of obtaining possession of the Island
of Bahrein.
8. You cannot afford the Persian Government a more satisfactory proof of the dis-»
interestednesa of our intentions than by an a .ppeal to the nature and result of the last expedi-
tion. On which occasion the most positive or dure were issued for confining its operations to
the destruction of the piratioal craft and on no account to extend them to the interior of the
country. These instructions having been fulfilled, the armament returned to Bombay.
4. The expectations however which had been formed of tho beneficial effect that would
bo produced by that expedition soon proved fallacious; the Joassmee Arabs succeeded in
obtaining other boats and vessels, and renewed their depredations with increased audacity;
accompanied by acta of savage cruelty and of murder, committed indiscriminately on vessels
and subjects belonging to the British as well as on those of other powers; even in the Indian
seas.
5. The British Government remained passive under theae multiplied aggressions during
the last five years uuder a hope that they might be checked by the oonstant presenoe of a
marine foroe in the Gulf of Persia, and that some attention would he paid to the repeated
remonstrances which have been made to the Arab Chiefs who have been the most conspicuous
in the prosecution of piracy as well on the Persian as the Arabian side of the Gulf.
6. You must be fully aware (notwithstanding a recent application has been made by tber
Government of Shiraz for tho restoration of a Botella eaptured by His Majesty's Ship Curleuf
on the plea of her being the property of a Chieftain subjeot to Persia) that the influence of
that Government on the various tribes inhabiting the ports on the shores and islands of the
Gulf of Persia has been completely annihilated since the ascendancy of the Wahabce power,
and that has not commanded the means of controlling those piratical habits which havs been
sneouraged and protected by the Sheikh of that tribe.
7. Under these circumstances tie British Government was at full liberty to pursue
whatever measures it might consider necessary for the protection of its own subjects and th4
general trade of India against Juture annoyance, A desire however of avoiding any aet
*