Page 128 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

100 Part V—Chap. XXVI.
30. Tho Imam has begged to know whethor I seo any objections to the employment of
his ships in tho conveyance o£ the Persian army, but I have doclinod to give any direct reply
to this quoation, undor tho plea that my instructions do not relate to this point.
31. It may possibly have occurred to His Highness tho Imam that tho present is a
favourable moment for making an independent attack on Bahrein, ns although he might not
bo able to induco tho British Government to join with him in this undertaking, ho would at
least enjoy tho advantages arising from a British forco being in tho Gulf, a circumstance that
would provont tho Bahroincao from being joined by allies who might otherwise assist thorn,
although now overawed by tho intimate allianco known to subsist betwixt Ilia Highness and
tho British Government.
82. In tho 8th paragraph of your lettor of tho 27th of Octobor tho Island of Bahroin is
mentioned as ono of tho places whero property obtained piractionlly was disposed of. Subso-
quont information on this head haB tended to conlirm the belief! tlmt it was oven tho principal
channel through which tho piratoa wore unablo to convert into monoy the valuable merchandizr
which thoy captured.
83. Information having reached Captain Bruce that ton piratical vessels had takon rofuge
at this island, His Majo-ty’s ships Kden and Ctribia and tho Honourable Company's cruieor
vessel woro despatched by Captain Collier tlneo days ago for tho purpose of demanding tho
surrender of tbeso boats.
84*. Tho Army of His Highness the Imamud of Maskat alluded to in my despatch of the
10th ultimo, arrivod two days after tho fall of Ras-ul-Khima, but aa its presence had become
unnecessary from the termination of our military operations beforo this place previous to its
arrival, and as tho strongest religious and other prejudices existed betwixt it and the inha­
bitants of this neighbourhood which preoludod nil hope of the minds of tho peoplo becoming
settled and reconciled to what had occurred, whilst this Army should remain, I requested that
Hie Highness would direct its return to his own territories beyond the mountains, a short
distance from hence, and this movement was made accordingly.

(IV) OCCUPATION OF RAS-UL-KUIH A BY A BRITISH DETACHMENT.
228. No reply having as yet reached Sir William from Ibrahim Pacha
respecting tho offer made to him by the Supremo Government of placing the
port of Ras-ul-Khima under tho authorty of tbo Turkish Government, it
become necessary to make arrangements for its occupation. Measures were
accordingly taken for placing this fortress in such a state of defence as to
render its garrison secure against any sudden attack.
229. The garrison left was composed of a detachment of artillery and the
1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment, Native Infantry. A strong detached work (one
of the principal defences of Ras-ul-Khima) having been most materially
injured during the recent operations and rendered useless and even incon­
venient for our purposes, it was directed that it should be completely destroyed.
The other defences were in conformity to the 14th paragraph of Government
letter of the 27th October (paragraph 204 above) retained entire.

(V) PACIFICATION OF THE PIRATE COAST.
230. The success of the British operations on this coast were followed by
proofs of a strong and general effect. Hassan-bin-Ali, the late Chieftain of
Laya and Rumz, was a prisoner in our hands, and Hassan-bin Rachma, the late
Chieftain of Ras-ul-Khima, again come into camp, for the purpose of sub­
scribing to terms calculated to give permanency to the tranquillity which had
been established. Kazib, the Chieftain of Iazerat-ul-Hamra, also came to the
Camp, and the Chieftain of Shargha arrived soon after to confirm his previous
offers of unconditional submission. All the Chieftains evinced their readiness
to enter, for themselves and followers, into any arrangements that might be
prescribed for the effectual pacification of the Gulf. The Chieftain of Debai
having died recently, his widow, who was in possession of the Government, sent
her son, a boy of about nine years of age, expressed her desire to enter into
similar arrangements.