Page 215 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Port Vl-Ohop. XLXXX. 193
roourronco of any similar series of outrages would ho groat.ly diminished if all
protonoos of aggression wororomoyod by the establishment of a peace between
tho hostile chieftains of the Arabian boat9. Accordingly, availing himself
of tho proscnce in Bassidoro of Shoikh Sultan bin Saggar, tho Chief of tho
Joasmis and Sheikh Shakbat, tho fathor and plenipotentiary of tho Chiof of
Abuthabi, despatched a vossel of war ovor to Dobai, with an invitation to
Obod-bin-Said, ono of tho Shoikhs of that place, to moot him at Bassidoro for
tho purpoBO of discussing some matters connected with tho general welfare. The
request was promptly attended to, and in tho courso of a fow days this Chief
arrivod at Bassidoro, and was shortly aftorwards followed by Rashid bin
Hamid, tho Shoikh of Ejman.
342. Having made the best arrangements possiblo for tho recoption and
entertainment of these chieftains, tho Rosident took every opportunity in it is
privato interviews to impress upon their minds tho folly and imprudence of
their remaining in a state of rebellion with each other which so far from being
advantageous to themselves or subjects, only tended to involve the latter in
ruin and misery by outting them off from tho pearl fishery, and thus depriving
them of their principal means of subsistence. His arguments were not
without effect, and a general disposition was manifested to come to some
accommodation of their differences. On endeavouring however to ascertain
the terms upon which they were willing to base tho establishment of a peace,
it was found that any attempt to reconcile their jarring interests, or to adjust
their conflicting claims for reparation and satisfaction on account of past
injuries was entirely out of the question, and that even had it been possible to
make any sort of arrangement regarding the settlement of their demands the
guarantee of the British Government for tho fulfilment of the conditions was
considered by the contending parties as a sine qua non. Thi9 of course the
Resident had no hesitation in refusing, but unwilling after the exertions he
had made to restore a good understanding among the heads of the maritime
Arabs that they should separate from each other upon their old terms of
enmity, ho sounded them upon the 6ubjeot of a truce, and finding the idea met
with a favourable reception, the Resident drew out a paper (of which translation
is printed below) and sent a copy to each of the Sheikhs for their perusal and
consideration. In reply they all expressed their satisfaction at the prospect of
an arrangement which involved no sacrifice of what they considered as their
just rights, and yet enabled them to afford to their subjects the inestimable
advantages of a tranquil pearl fishery.
^ 343. Finding that tho proposition had been so well received, the Resident
invited the Sheikhs to a general meeting at my Residency, and accordingly, on
tho 21st August 1836, they all assembled. After he had briefly impressed
upon them the advantages attending the measure suggested, and explained that
when once agreed to, an infraction would be treated as a case of piracy without
any reference being made to their inland disputes, they replied, that such an
arrangement was precisely what they were most desirous of, and that they
all fully and cordially agreed to the terms proposed. The separate copies of
the truce which had been prepared having been sealed and witnessed, one was
retained by each of the contracting parties, and on the 22nd they all took their
departure for their respective territories, in order that no time might be lost in
affording to their subjects the requisite permission to proceed to the pearl banks.
344. Of the great importance attached by the Maritime Arabs to an
uninterrupted pearl fishery an idea might be formed from the circumstance
that some of the principal merchants of Shargah in a private communication
with the British Agent at that place offered to guarantee to the Indian Govern­
ment the sum of 20 dollars per annum for each boat that went out to the
pearl banks provided they were taken under its immediate protection, and a
vessel of war specially deputed to guard them from aggression. Such a pro­
position of courso could not be entertained, but it showed in the Resident’s
opinion the desire of the mercantile part of the Maritime Arabs for peace, and
were strongly corroborative of the reports from all quarters of the joy and
satisfaction diffused amongst the inhabitants of the whole line of the Arabian
Coast of this Gulf on the intelligence reaching them of the establishment of the
truce.