Page 62 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

40
Part II—Chap. XIV.
taken a part. The following correspondence in the matter shows how the opera­
tions were viewed by the Persian Government on the one hand and the British
authorities on tho other :—

Dated Bashiro, tho 30th Juno 1805.
Prom—Lihctbnlift William Bbcob, Acting Itosidont at Buahiro,
To—Captain David Sbton, ficeidentnt Muscat.
8ccret and Poll. I have the honour to acknowledge tho receipt of your letter dated 4th May, which
Dept. Diary No. 171 reached mo on tho 20th instant per the Queen. On tho same day I waited on His Excellency tho
of ^05, pp. 4343- perfljan Ambassador and enquired of him whether tho Bonemain, tho Shaiks of Lingua and
Shinas were under tho protection of tho Persian Government and whether our acting hostilely
against thorn would bo agreeable to the latter. Iio at that time auswered they were subjects of
Persia but their allegiance was very precarious in general and entirely dopended upf*n tho
state the country was in at the time, and he did not suppose there would bo any objection to
our puuishing thorn it thoy had acted in any manner deserving of it.
In your application to me you mention that I shall have time enough by tho return of
the Queen to get answer to any applications 1 might make to Shiraze us to the propriety of your
acting hostilely against the above mentioned tribes. I should agreeably to your wish have made
an application on the subject to the Shiraze Government, but being too well acquainted from
experience of the dilatoriouenoss of the Persians in answering any applications on matters
relating to the redress of grievances on our part (for instance the unfortunate Nuckheloo
business) and knowing that it must be referred to Court before the Shiraze Government could
presume to give answer and which would occupy some months, at Wat 3 or 4. I thought it
advisable nut to do it, but merely to know tne opinion of the Persian Ambassador on the
I subject which I bef ire mentioned, but I have to observe to you that his opinion related to
1 these tribes inhabiting the islands and not any part of the Main. It has since turned out very
fortunute that I did uot make auy application to Sheraze on the subject; for yesterday
1
evening His Excellency Mohummed Nubee Khan sent to mo wishing to speak with me. I
1 of course went and was not a litilo astonished after having received your advices of the 4th
I ultimo when he read me a letter from Cheragh Alice Khaa and Firmaun from the Prince
I mentioning that official accounts had been received from the southern ports and from Mulla
Hussim Mainie that Said Budder with a fleet accompanied by you in a ship of war had attacked
I
Gombroon and reduced tho town and fort, and that Said Budder had taken the latter which ho
would not have been able to effect without the assistance you afforded him. The letter and
Firmaun mentioned that this was very strange conduct on our part to act in suoh a hostile manner
towards them, while such good understanding existed between the two nations and to enquire
of the Resident here how suoh oircumstance could take place and for what reason we should
act in such a manner, while they were exerting themselves to give us everv satisfaction for the
plunder and ill-treatment of British subjects at Nuckheloo. I answered the Khan that the
accounts 6ent to Shiraze must certainly be false, for that you would never co-operate with Said
Budder in hostile measures against any of tho subjects belonging to His Majesty the King of
Persia; that so far from it you had made au application to me to know of 6omo particular
tribes were under the protection of the Persian Government or not, on purpose to avoid giving
the least shadow of offenco; but that I should take the first opportunity of advising you °u ^e
subject, and that I had no doubt but that the answers would prove the accounts forwarded to
Shiraz to be false.
As the different tribes mentioned in your letter are uuder tho protection of the Persian
Government and as no regular complaint has as yet been made to them for the restitution of
British property and tho redress of grievances on our pirt, which were ever done and denied
us, I should then think it proper iu us to act in such a manner as to force it, but not till then
unless we saw them in the very act of piracy.
I have to request your answer as soon as possible by the return of this boat which ^ ^ave
taken up for the express purpose of giving you this information and to acquaint you tha
do not think it advisable ia you to act in an offensive manner against any of tho ports or
islands on this side of the Galph as it may interrupt the harmony now existing between o
two nations and even to go so far as to stop the Embassy now on foot from proceeding
Calcutta unless it is against Nuckheloo and Busheab; and these not unless it is a *
particular request of Shykh NaBsur, in which case should any blame arise it will fall on
and not on us.
Retolution of the Bombay Government, dated 4th September 1905.
Ordered that copies of the above papers be sent to the Resident at Muscat accompanied
by an expression of our concern that he should have given tho umbrage he appears ^
done to the Persian Government in taking any part in the recovery of Gombroon evor-
Muscat Government, considering that his instructions so fully cautioucd him again
occasion of offence towards the sovereigns of either Persia or Turkey.