Page 274 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

252 Part VII—Chap. LIII.

CHAPTER IIII.

REVOLUTION AT BUSHIRE AND REMOVAL OF THE
RESIDENCY FROM THERE, 1827.
Rtiident't letter to Boraboy Government, dated 467. In February 1827 events occurred
7th February 1827. at Bushire which were followed by serious
Volume ,Vr of 1827, pago 305. consequences. On the 2nd Fobruary
there was a simultaneous and almost unpremeditated insurrection of the
inhabitants of Bushiro headed '.by 150 men from the Benifladgi tribe from
a neighbouring village and led on by Sheikh Hussein (brother of Sheikh
Abdul Bassul Khan) who had for the last two months resided under tho
Resident’s protection.
468. Tho insurgents during the night surprised tho only two towers of
the fort which were occupied by Sheikh Ahmed’s faithful adherents and
suspended their further operations till daylight when they surrounded the
Sheikh’s house, and after skirmishing tho greater part of the day compelled him
to subscribe to an agreement concluded under Colonel Stannus’s mediation,
whereby he was obliged to abdicate the Government and take refuge in tho
Residency till accounts wore received of the surrender of Karrack, when he
was to be furnished with the means of proceeding by sea beyond the limits of
the Bushire territory.
469. The authority of Sheikh Ahmed was at no period more generally
recognised or more cheerfully submitted to than on the day previous to his
downfall. His popularity was lost by a plan which he had formed of sending
hostages from each tribe to Karrak as pledge of their fidelity on the
approach of tho Prince, and this one act of oppression had been found to cancel
all his former claims on the gratitude of the inhabitants.
470. On the second day after Sheikh Ahmed had taken up his abode at the
Residency, it became necessary to make a communication to the new Govern­
ment on behalf of that Chieftain, which induced him to repair to the house of
8heikh Mahomed, the uncle of Sheikh Abdul Rassul Khan, when the Resident
requested that the two young Sheikhs who were in possession of the Govern­
ment might he sent for to hear the proposal with which he was entrusted. In
the course of the conversation that followed Sheikh Hussein took offence at an
observation which fell from the Resident, left the house abruptly and rushed
towards the towers with bis followers, who were soon raised by his voice and
gestures to a proper pitch for executing any act of violence.
471. The consequence was that the armed rabble of the town were soon
everywhere in motion. The Residency was gradually surrounded by men
posted in groups behind the neighbouring huts, and detached parties were seen
creeping along the roofs of tho bouses to occupy commanding positions. These
demonstrations were followed by the approach of a large gun which was
brought from a distance and planted within 100 yards of the house, one of the
Residency servants was stopped close to the walls and plundered of articles
which he was carrying to the gate. Parties were stationed in the streets
leading to the Residency avowedly to prevent ammunition being introduced
there, in which occupation they committed the most wanton act9, emptying
water jars, opening bundles, and searching the persona of Armenians and
others who approached it.
472. These violent proceedings forced the Resident to adopt measures for
sustaining an attack, and the Residency was in the course of the afternoon
placed in a respectable 6tate of defence, but fortunately for both parties
matters were prevented from coining to extremities. A note which Colonel
Stannus addressed to Sheikh Kasir shout 12 o’clock occasioned them to pause
and reflect a little on the consequences of their proceedings, and a second
written about three hours later produced a cessation of the frantic preparations
aud the removal of tho armed bodies from our immediate neighbourhood.

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