Page 61 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

Tart 11-Chap. XIV. 39 I
101. On tbo 15tli tlio fleet went over to Kishm, as Captain Seton
expected to find a fleet of Joasmi boats said to bo coming there ; but on thoir
arrival seeing none, tbo British vessel remainod inactive. Tbo Imam having
only about eight hundred men independent of tbo garrison, was unwilling to
risk them on shoro, whero the Joasmi could land three or four thousand and
destroy them; ho therefore determined to blookado Kishm, and returned to
Ormuz.
102. Syud Bcdcr returned to Captain Seton 45 bales of broad-cloth
which* Sheikh Rhcmah had lodged at Ormuz aud would have given him the *8co Chapter XIX.
peoplo who had plundered the wreck of the Cypher, but not knowing what to
do with them, ho declined receiving them.
103. On the 3rd of July they had certain information of the Joasmi
intending to come to Kishm. On the 6th at daybreak, their fleet of 30 small
boats entered Kishm, having about a thousand men onboard. Tho Imam’s
fleet with tho Ulornington immediately made sail and anchoring off Kishm
blockaded them.
104. They had now no choice but to come out and fight, make peace
or remain and starve. The first they were not strong enough to do even with
the joint force of Kishm, and they sent to Syud Beder to make peace. This
ho could not do without excusing the late Imam’s death, but bis. presence
being required at Maskat, he made a truoo for seventy days at the expiration
of which time the Bassorah fleet consisting of 60 dows and three or four
thousand men sailing from Maskat, would admit Beder's recovering from the
Sheikh of Kishm what of the late Imam’s possessions he still held and
punishing the Joasmi for his murder.
105. On the British part, Captain Seton required them to make good
all tbe losses, they had occasioned us and return the Trimmer, with assurances
of their not being guilty of piracy in future. They were ready to make peace,
and ashamed of what they had done, but unable to make good our losses, they
proposed a subscription among their principal men ; but on calculating the
amount, it was found to be only 10,000 Rupees and that to bo paid only by
instalments.
106. As Mullah Hussain was anxious that Captain Seton should
settle with the Joasmis, the latter agreed that if they returned the Trimmer to
him at Maskat in 25 days, with a letter for the Honorable Governor express­
ing their sorrow for what had happened and their inability to repair our
losses as justice required, but assuring him it would never happen again, he
would make a truce until the Governor’s pleasure was known, and if he
granted peace on these terms, the Trimmer should be restored. Mulla Hussain
said that this would be complied with but wished Captain Seton to go on shore
and make an agreement with Sultan bin Saggar their Sheikh, who was there
in person, but as he found they wanted him to make agreements with regard
to their going to India, which was not authorised to do, he declined and sailed
for Maskat.
(iii) ALARM OF THE PERSIAN GOVERNMENT AT THE OPERATIONS AT GOMBRUN.
EXPLANATION OF THE BRITISH PART PLAYED THEREIN—1S05.
107. In tbe opinion of the Bombay Government there seemed on the whole
but little reason to apprehend that any umbrage could be taken by the Persian
Government at the degree of indirect assistance which under Captain Seton’a
orders appears to have been afforded to Syud Beder, the party now in authority
at Maskat, for recovering that place out of the hands of Mullah Hussain, the ruler
of the adjoining Island of Kishm, who availing himself of the troubles that
followed the death of the late Imam of Maskat possessed himself of that place
and harbour which had for years past been held by the Maskat family in farm
from the Persian Government together with considerable extent of the same line
of coast.
108. The Persian Government, however, displayed muoh alarm at the opera­
tions conducted by the Imam of Maskat at Qombrun, in which the British bad