Page 271 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Part VII—Chap. LI. 249

CHAPTER LI.

HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE 191 AM OF MASKAT AND
SHEIKH ABDEL KASSEL OF BESH1KE AND BKITISH
POLICY, 1820.
449. Tbo Imam of Maskat having long suspected that Sheikh Abdul
Tiombay Selections, Volume XXIV, page 104; Rassul Khan, Governor of Bushire, had
and letter from Resident to uovernmeut, doted by his intrigues and misrepresentations
si.t July 1820, Velum. ,jt of 1820. traduced him at the Court of Shiraz, and
even attempted to supplant him in his proposed connection -with the Prince
Royal of Pars, His Highness availed himself of the absence of his rival on a
pilgrimage to despatch an expedition to Bushiro on May 1820.
450. Two ships and a brig from Maskat anchored in the British roads on
the 27th July 1826 with orders to seize on oil vessels belonging to Sheikh
Abdul Rassul Khan, but not to offer the slightest molestation in other respects
to the trade of Bushire, or to adopt any hostile measures against the town or
its dependencies. This squadron was accompanied by the ship of Nusrut Shah
formerly belonging to the Sheikh of Bushire, hut lately captured by the Imam
on her roturn from Bengal. This ship had been sent up for the purpose of
landing the goods consigned to tho merchants of this place, the whole of the
Sheikh property having been previously taken out at Maskat and the ship itself
fitted out to reinforce the squadron.
451. Mahomed bin Suliman the Commander of these vessels forwarded to
the Resident a letter from His Highness explanatory of the objects of the
expedition, and acquainted him at the same time that he had orders to restore
all the property of the merchants and agents of this place that had been
taken on the Nusrut Shah, on condition of their paying to him such duties as
were usually levied at the Port of Bushire. As it appeared, however, that in
making this demand the Imam had been actuated entirely by motives of enmity
to the Sheikh, without reflecting that the merchants would then be subjected to
a double charge, the Resident prevailed on Mahomed bin Suliman to abandon
this claim, and to permit the goods to be landed free of imposition. The
utmost tranquillity prevailed at Bushire since the arrival of the squadron
which remained stationary without attempting to place the least restraint on
the trade of the port.
452. The immediate consequences of this long threatened expedition wero
far less serious than could have been expected, and the moderation of Seyyid
Said in forbearing to invade the Persian territories, or injure the subjects of
that kingdom, prevented his conduct from being viewed as a national aggression :
his difference with Sheikh Abdul Rassul was not considered in any other light
than that of a personal quarrel, in which, like the constant feuds between their
Arab dependants, Government would not deem it necessary to interfere. But
the virulent nature of the enmity between the two Chieftains would, it was
feared by the Resident, involve the whole Gulf in their mutual quarrel, and
afford a rallying point to those unsettled and discontented spirits which abound
on its shores. The various tribes of Arabs on the Persian Coast between Kishm
and Congun, were said to be impatiently waiting an invitation to engage on
the side of the Imam, while overtures were reported to have been made by the
Government at Bushire for assistance from the Joasmis, with whose Chief a
friendly intercourse had been maintained by Sheikh Abdul Rassul Khan for
many years past. The arrival of the Sheikh, who was expected to return
through the centre of Arabia, would, the Resident feared, probably give the
signal for hostilities and it would require the utmost vigilance and delicacy on
his part to restrain the parties within lawful limits and to afford effectual
protection to the neutral trade amidst the general confusion.
453. From Bushire the Imam’s ships proceeded to Basrah to enforce some
private and publio claims advanced by the Imam against that place.
454. When a roport was made of these circumstances to the Bombay
Government! the Resident was directed to allow the Imam to pursue his oxen