Page 76 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

54 Part II—Chap. XVI.
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The Right Honourable tho Governor in Council deems it necessary in the first instance to
explain to you for the information of His Highness the Imaum, that a more enlarged eon-
struction has been put upon the nature of the alliance subsisting between the State of Oman
and the British Government than that under which the latter has been accustomed to consider
it.
The nature of the connection subsisting between the two States is for the maintenance of a
friendly intercourse, between the contracting powers exclusively, without involving the allies or
enemies of either in the connection, or any obligation in either of the contracting powers to
co-operate in the views of the other.
The Governor in Council is not awaro of any measures which can bo pursued at the present
moment for tho assistance of His Highness besides those which havo boon already taken by
this Government, and for tho general security of commcrco, against tho depredations of tho
Joasmco pirates, in tho prosecution of which tho mercantile interests of Muscat will be pro­
tected equally with every other fair trado by our cruizers, which are maintained in tho Gulph
principally for tho security of its commercial intcrosts.
You will also bo pleasod to inform His Highness that Mr. Bruce in consequence of tho
orders he had received from this Government had determined to proceed to Rassul Khymn to
remonstrate with tho Chief of tho Joasmees as the subject of their predatory proceedings and
to demand restitution of tho boats and property they may have captured ; as well as to endeav­
i our to bind them by some engagement to pursue a more creditable course for obtaining a
livelihood, and in the execution of this mission he will not be inattentive to tho interests of tho
Imaum; at the same timo it is to bo observed that had the means now to bo adopted been less
likely to insure a favourable issue, it would not have been convenient at this to havo 6ent a
force into the Gulph for inforcing a compliance with our reasonable expectations.
Toll. Dopt., Diary 136. From a report of the broker at Maskat, dated 10th June 1814, it appears
No. 413 of 1814,
pj>. 3247-3260. that Syud Snid having proceeded to Ras-ul-Khima with all his disposable
forces from Maskat, with the view of making an attack on that place, the
chief people there sent a mediator to him and solicited poace, which he agreed
to grant, and the same principal people thereon waited upon him, and concluded
an amicable arrangement, the stipulations of which were that all His High­
ness’s subjects on the Arab shore, Bahrein to Rasul Had, and on the Persian
shore from the port of Kongun, to that of Q wader, all of whom wore His High­
ness’s subjects, should be included in the peace, but there were three tribes who
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were excluded from the Arrangement, namely, the inhabitants of Bushire,Bassora,
and the Utubis of Granb, and as about the period of His Highness’s departure
for Ras-ul-Khima, and previously to his arrival, the inhabitants of that place
had sent to sea about twenty vessels, it was at the same time stipulated, in
the event of those vessels having committed depredations on any of His High­
ness’s subjects, although they might not be held answerable for any life which
might be lost, yet the vessel and property should be restored.
137. In the course of their cruize seven of these Joasmi vessels fell in with
a dow, belonging to one Bin Iabir, a Persian, which had taken in a cargo at
Maskat and was proceeding to the port of Bunder Abbass and an aotion took
place between them, which ended in the capture of the dow. The slaughter
amongst the Joasmi was also very great. The dow was carried to Ras-ul-
Khima, but it was reported that the inhabitants of that place have written to
those concerned in her inviting them to come to take charge of her.
138. There were two tribes who were not satisfied with the peace made
by His Highness Sayyud Said, with the inhabitants of Ras-ul-Khima, one of
them Sultan bin Saggar and the other Sheikh Huza ; but it was said that they
had been afterwards compelled to accede to it by compulsion. They stipu­
lated with Sayyud Said that Ras-ul-Khima should rernaiu in his own possession,
and that Sheikh Sultan bin Saggar should be established at Shargab, and that
eaoh person should remain within his own limits.