Page 214 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

192 Part VI—Chap. XLIII.

CHAPTER XLIII.

THE MARITIME^ TRB^AND RESTKICTION^OF THE SPHERE

(i) Tlio Maritime Truce of 1835.
837. Tho years 1831-35 wero markod by unusual disturbances among tho
Arab tribes in the Gulf and a far groator than tho average amount of piracies
was tho consequence of this general state of disturbance. In ovory instance how-
over moans of repression wore promptly resorted to and ample reparation exacted.
338. Tho most signal instance both of tho offence and of tho punishment
was that of tho Beniyas Arabs, tho subjoots of Khalifa bin Shakhbat, Chief
of Abuthabi, who under their previous Chief, Tahnun bin Shakhbat, had been
distinguished for their peaceable conduot and obsorvanco of treaties, but who
soou after his murder either from tho inability or disinclination of tho now
Chief to restrain them, broke out into open and avowod piracy not respecting
evon the British flag, or the property of British subjects.
339. The promptitude and energy with which Captain Hennell, the
Assistant, in charge of tho Residency, made the neoossary demonstrations of an
intention to blockade tho port of Abuthabi produced tho required atonement
without actual recourse to any hostilities, except those which passed between
the Company’s sloop of war Elphinstone and the piratical fleet, in which the
latter, though none of their ships were taken or sunk, received what they appear
to have felt as a severe lesson. “ As a summary,” says Captain Hennell,1 “ of
the reparation afforded by the Beniyas, it may be stated that one brig, seven
• Lett or to Mr. Secretary Maonaghton, dated buglas, tWO batils, five bugarahs, and
9i«t May 1836. the greater part of the goods on board
the Dariah Dowlut have been recovered, together with upwards of ten thousand
German crowns in cash and property, besides an engagement for sixteen
hundred more on the termination of the pearl fishery towards the liquidation
of the claims for the cargoes of the vessels destroyed and plundered. In
addition to these all the prisoners have been given up—the persons of the two
pirates who headed the outrages upon the British flag surrendered—and the
three principal vessels of the Beniyas concerned in the late piracies put into
our possession as pledges for the settlement of the balance due on account of
tho English bugla. When to these items the punishment inflicted upon
Sheikh Kallifa’s fleet by the Hon’ble Company's ship Elphinstone, the
seizure in Maskat of an Abuthabi batil with a valuable cargo as a
compensation for the plunder of a bugla belonging to that port, and finally
the engagements offered by Sheikh Shackbut for the gradual liquidation of
the value of the deficient cargo of tho Dariah Dowlut are added, I venture to
hope that the Right Hon’ble the Governor-General of India in Council
will consider that sufficient reparation has been made by the offending tribe,
and that effectual measures have been taken for the complete suppression of
the lawless and piratical spirit lately manifested.”
340. Of the two pirates mentioned in tho foregoing extract, one was tried,
convicted and sentenced to death in the Supreme Court of Bombay, but the
sentenoe was subsequently commuted to oue of transportation for life by the
King in Council. The other pirate could not in the opinion of the law officers
be tried in the Supreme Court with any prospect of success, but as there was
no doubt of his guilt, he was delivered to Sultan bin Saggar, the Chief of Shargah,
who from the particular circumstances of tho offence was considered to have
jurisdiction in the case with a recommendation that he should bo punished.
341. In his letter dated 26th May 1835, the Resident reported that having
brought the discussions with the Beniyas iribe regarding their late nefarious
proceedings to a favourable termination, ho conceived that the ohanoes of the