Page 155 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Part V-Chap. XXX. 133

CHAPTER XXX.

PERSIAN COMPLAINTS AGAINST Mr. BRUCE.

269. Mr. Bruce, Resident in the Persian Gulf, was now a persona ingrata
to the Porsian Government, especially the
Volume 33—9 O/1620—1821, page 71.
Prince of Fars. Repeated complaints were
addressed by them to the Bombay Government and to the Envoy at Tehran.
The charges against Mr. Bruce and his rejoinder to each aro printed below :—
Char get. Observations and reply.
Mr. Bruco the British Resident at Bushirc, I can offer no spccifio reply to an accusation
who so long has resided in Persia, and who so general as that by which the charges against
is well aware of the existing relations between mo ore introduced, but I appeal with confidence
the two Empires, has always experienced on to tho Government whose records afford ample
one part every consideration connected with means of defending mo against this calumny,
his official capacity. He ought in consequence It ia well known that His Highness the
tO'have been arduous in tho support of the Imam 0f Mnskat has fitted out several expedi-
existing amity; on the contrary, be bad tions with the view of accomplishing in conjunc-
committed acts which ill accord with the tion with Per,ia the eduction of Bahrein, but
intimacy of the connection between these expeditious invariably failed in consequence
the two States; he has ever offended 0f His Highness the Prince of Shuar not per-
against the interests of his own Govern- forming his part of the engagement in regard
meat. Mr. Brace was acquainted that t0 ihe quota of tr00 lo be furnished. The
at the request of the Imam an expedition Imam in conseque„ce was constrained to make
had been fitted out for the punishment
. , n
_ .
. | , tt* the best terms he could with the Shaikh of
of the people of Bahrein, and that His Bahrain before British squadron left the Gulf,
Royal Highness the Prince of Shiraz had but wbi|st j wa8 at Bahrein I was so far from
undertaken this soberac ; ha went.to Bahrein, aotin„ a8 mediator that tho time waa exclu-
and wasthe mediator of a peace between the E;vp|y oco ied in deraanding that eomo ira.
Imam and Uttabi Shaikhs and stipulated tictt, boola Ebould b6 Riven u. If b/tba
fur the motion of a standard on that island. m#tion ot a 8tnndnrd it j, meant that a British
flag was ever hoisted on the Island of Bahrein,
the Government is well aware that nothing of
the kind ever took place. It is true that the
Shaikhs of Bahrein and the Imam of Maskat
wished Sir W. G. Keir and myself to guarantee
the treaty between them, but the request was
not complied with.
2nd.—The ships of the people of Lin- 2nd.—It might be sufficient to 6tate that
gua who were obedient and faithful in when the occurrence alluded to in the charge
tho service of tributary to tho Persian Mr. Bruce was residing at Bushire. He happens
Government were sailing with merchandize however to know that Captain Loch seized the
from Bussora. Mr. Bruco ordered the arms boats referred to, many of whioh belouged to
of 800 of their men to bo seized and took piratioal porta on the Arabian side of the Gulf,
fourteen of these boats, as 6torm happened The Fort of Lingua with several others on the
and cut their masts and they were lost. Porsiun side of the Gulf were so well known to
be in league with the pirates, that Sir W. G. Keir
was instructed by Government to visit it and
destroy its boats. The boats whioh Captain
Looh captured were taken as far as Khen, and
Captain Looh then withdrew hi9 men from
them and direoted them to follow him to
Ras-ul-khima, being anxious himself to join the
expedition, instead, however, of following bis
instructions, they, steered for the ports they
belonged to respectively, but now lost in a gale
before they could reach their destination.
3rd.—At the Port of Charak, of whioh 3rd.—In reply to this charge it might be
the inhabitants if they had committed any sufficient to state that I have never been at the
fault were amenable to the Prince of Shiror, Port of Charak. The Shaikh of which however
he burnt ships; these acts he has certainly had committed a most violent act of piracy on
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