Page 314 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

292 Part VII—Chap. LXIX.

CHAPTER LXIX.

OCCUPATION OF KARRAK BY A LAIt GARRISON AND THEN
A SIIIRBAUZ GARRISON-THE ISLANDERS EMIGRATE.
576. When the British left Karrak it was handed over to the charge of a
garrison from Lar under the leadership of Lutf Ali Khan. But ho could not pull
on smoothly with his people and his orders were constantly disobeyed by them.
Ho left tho place for Busliiro, where he endeavoured to raise a band of Shiahs with
whom ho proposed to fight the Lar Garrison who had disobeyed his orders. He
was aided by the public authorities of Bushire and advised by them not to think
of abandoning Karrak, but to return to it, and to punish both the troops and the
islanders. He of course represented his affairs in tho most favorable light,
and madoit out that ho had been turned adrift by a mutiny and rebellion. The
Governor of Bushire and tho Mujtahid each sent a man to Karrak to dis-
cover the truth, and to expostulate with the. garrison. The garrison having
beaten and treated with indignity these emissaries, they were dismissed with a
message to their masters, to attend to their own concerns, that Karrak was under
the Chief of Lar, and that they could listen to no proposals from tho Chiefs of
Bushire, that if they sent men to subdue them they should certainly be fired
upon, etc.
676. Lutf Ali Khan, supported by tho Mujtahid of Bushire, wrote to bis
Chief in Laristan complaining of the insubordination of his own men and the
Mujtahid advised the Lar Chief to send over a body of Shiahs from Bushire
to punish the Sunnis of Karrak, both the garrison and islanders. Mirza
Abdulla, the de facto Commander of the Lar Troops, and his coadjutor, also
wrote to the Lar Chief.
577. In tho meantime Lutf Ali Khan sailed from Bushire with about
30 idlo Shiahs, whom he bad enlisted at Bushire, and arrived at Karrak
in warlike guise. Tho Lar garrison soon terrified the invaders, who fled on
board tho boat that brought them, leaving Lutf Ali Khan, their leader,
behind them. Nothing, however, was done to molest him. He demanded that
he should be allowed to occupy his old quarters in the fort of Karrak and to
command his men, but his request being refused, he took up his residence close
to the walls. After staying a fortnight there, he one day entered the fort when
the gate was open, and having declared that he would cut down any one who
refused to obey bis orders, a matchlock presented to his breast induced him to
retreat He then took up his quarters in a bungalow beyond the lines, and
having one servant, he posted him on a road near to his residence for the purpose
of intercepting and bringing to him the unarmed islanders, as they went to,
and came from thoir fields. Some Kharragis were thus taken prisoners, till at
length one of them, provided with arms, resisted, a scuffle ensued, and Lutf
Ali Khan’s man was cut across the head.
677A. Answers were received from tho Chief of Lar disapproving of Lutf
Ali Khan’s proceedings, expressing indignation at the interference of the Muj­
tahid of Bushire, and intimating to Mirza Abdullah, tho de facto Commander
of the Lar Garrison, that a relief of the garrison would soon take place, and
that a relation of the Chief would proceed to Karrak in command of it, with
the most strict injunctions to protect, and not to harass the islanders.
The Kharragis were delighted with this intelligence, and seemed to be
satisfied that there was every chance of their being able to remain on thcil
island without fear of oppression.
678. In November 1843 it was, however, reported that the Lar soldiers
stationed in Karrak being no longer supplied with provisions from Bushire,
had with their Commanders left that island for Laristan and that Lutf All
Kban remained there alone in occupation of the fort. Tho Kharragis were
represented to be in great alarm that tho Bushire authorities or the Prince of
1762 P.D.