Page 68 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

46 Part II—Chap. XV.

their differences, professing on that occasion a deeiro to conform to a treaty or convention
which Captain Seton, the late Resident nt Muscat had entered into, under the instructions of
this Government, and lho approbation of that of Bengal with his now deceased father Sug^cr
under date the 6th of February 1806, by which he engaged on the part of bis tribe, as per copy
enclosed, to respect British property, which having, howover, failed to perform, and the present
extension of this piratical annovance having rison to a height which appeared to tho Supreme
Government to involve, not only tho safoty and iodopondcnco of Muscat, but the currency of
tho commercial intercourse between the Gulph and India, tho object of your expedition is,
according to the instructions from the samo high authority, to bo directed to the destruction of
these pirato vessels, the operations of the force under your command, being excepting in cases
of particular emergency, limited to the sea, neither are the troops or crews of the ships meant
to be employed on shore against any land forces in the service of the Jl'ahabee Chiefs, unless
their being so should be found essentially requisite, either for the destruction of the piratical
loafs or to recover for the Imaum of Muscat some of the seaports between lla*ut Hud and
Mussindum, at present in the hands of the piratical doasmees, who aro all, more or less,
under the goncral protection, and ev«*n dominion, of the Wahabco power, which had also, about
ten months ago, reduced Sycd Saeed of Muscat, and the other branches of tho same family,
particularly that subdivision thereof, the Chieftain of which named Uzzon holds his residcnco
at Sohhar to much the same sort of subserviency, obliging thorn to acknowledge themselves
subordinate to his power and engnging also, as is creditably reported to assist in tho extension
of tho samo innovating and oppressive influence as well in the direction of Hussora as eventually
towards India, giving admission also to the Doctors of the reformed faith into Muscat, and
involving, of course, a cessation of hostilities with tho Joasmco, tho samo superior sovereign
being thus understood to be at tho head of both States. It was, however, sufficiently obvious
that these compulsatory acts on tho part of the Joasmeo of Muscat would be of no longer
operation than tho duration of tho necessity that had lead to them ; nor has tho latter evor
raado any formal avowal to this Government of his having been reduced to such a 6tatc of
even temporary and only seeming subjection, from which it is understood that ho has availed
himself of the late extraordinary events in so many of tho Wahabce family including Saood,.
its last chief, being not long ago cut off by tho plague at Deriah, their capital leaving only a
minor son and heir to carry on their consequently enfeebled Government, to shake off the
yoke and expel the Wahabee teachers from his capitals, who arc since said to have beon
murdered, through tli3 indignation of the people on their journey homeward.
6. However that may bo, it may likely prove tho most promotive of success to the
Supremo Government, objects in your expedition, that you should, without stopping at Muscat
advance immediately with such native pilots as may be sent out to you from tho latter place,
to Rasul Khyma, for tho purpose of recovering as much as possible of tho plundered property,
i
concurrently with the liberation of the British subjects and natives of our settlements in
India now held in bondage by these barbarians, but chi' fly in the view of burnimg and
destroying all the vessels and crafts that may be found in that harbour, meddling no more with
the town, and not employing the force by land any further than may be found indispensable
for the attainments of the first mentioned object.
6. Besides the principal port of Rasul Kbima, there are several contiguous ones from
Rums to Aboo Seyle : as laid down in a topographical cketch of that part of the coast
procured from Syed Tucky, the boats in which may as appertaining to tho 6arae piratical
Power, be all dertro) ed if opportunity offers.
7. In addition to these ports on the Arabian Coast, tho Piratical Joasmee possess on tho
opposite one of Persia the Port of Linga, with the three subordinate roadsteads, in the samo
bay of Koonz, Hemeraum, and Bundi Mallum, and have also occupied the Port of Luffc
on the Isle of Kisra, all the rest of which is still understood to be in possession of tho Imaum
of Muscat. With respect to the last mentioned of these places, i.e., the Port of Luffc,
Mr. Bruce, the present Resident at Muscat, will be instructed to procure and communicate to
you the assent of the Imaum of Muscat to destroy the maritime equipment of the Joasmee at
that station, and although this Government have not yet received an answer to a communica­
tion made by order of the Supreme Government in India last to the Persian Government
through the armament accompanied by an imitation to the 6ame Government to join and
coperate in its objects, or can consequently he paid to liav$ hitherto procured the direct
acquiescence of the Persian State to similar measures being carried on at Linga and its
dependencies, as well as such of tho other ports and places on the Persian Coast as you
may find the pirates in the occupancy, 6till there can be hut little doubt of the ready
acquiescence of the Government being received by tho earliest opportunity as you will pro­
bably find to have beau already communicated to the Residency at Muscat, or received perhaps
direct intelligence of from Bushire; with which you should take the earliest opportunity of
communicating for the purpose previously to the course; but in any cate you need not hesitate
to proceed to destroy the maritime equipment of the pirates on that state of the Gulpn
wherever you may ascertain them to exist, taking care to proceed in all such cates with the
utmost practicable respect towards the undisputed right of His Majesty the King of Persia the
present ally of our sovereign j and to cause it to be well explained to such of his officer ns the
course of events may lead you in communication with that, the British Government have no
other object than to free the obstructions and heavy losses to which it.is now, and has so long
continued exposed from the predatory attacks of the Joasmee, and other pirates, without the
slighted in’ention to occupy any part of the territory, or to molest or annoy so much a* one-