Page 88 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

G6 Part Ill-Chap. XXX.
my letter of the 20 th Juno, whethor lam authorized to insist upon tho Ai,,
Treaty concluded by Major Malcolm, I know of no means at present in my power tl t are
likely to bo pursued with any effect. What I am certain of is that tho effectual interfr
of tho Shiraz Government is under such circumstances to bo secured by mcro considorat’° °DCf
interest; and I fool extremely unwilling to havo recourse to an expedient so exponsivTam!
uncertain. 1 0 anu
letter from Khoja Fcrecdoodeen at Shiraz, dated the 4th and received the lllh November 1803
You desired mo in a former lottor to montion tho affairs of Naqueloo to Chorntrh
Khan and at tho samo time you wrote upon that subject to Shaik Abdoor Russool. Ho Alio
waa
much distressed and hurt at tho perusal of your letter. I have never yet had an opportuuit
of representing tho business to tho Khan in cousequonco of his indisposition. I Lrvo nine
bcon favourod with auother dispatch, giving covor to a note in your own handwriting declaring
that you wished to conciliate and please the Shaikh's son, and tliat you had no cause of
comnlaint against him. But if the father doos not wish to proceed to Naqueloo do you
think tho sou will consoot to an application for positive ordors to that effect ? ^
In my opinion tho Naqueloo business has been much injured by being made over to the
Shaikh and its final settlement now appears most difficult. This coujccture is confirmed by a
letter from tho Shaikh to his 6on which arrived on tho evening of the 31st October. It*
contents were nearly as follows :-»"Fourteon French men of war havo sot out for the
Persian Gulph of which number, six largo ones havo arrived and anchored at Muscat. Tho
Raheemsha owed hor safety to having got thero a littlo boforo them, otherwise sho would have
fallon in their hands. One of theso six which contains *100 Europeans and some officers of
rank is destined for Bushire. In hor are letters from tho Chiofa of the French nation for the
King, tho Prince and Cheragh Alle Khan, and perhaps also an Ambassador. You must show
this loiter to Cheragh Alle Khan and explain all theso particulars fully to him that he may
furnish me with orders for the guidance of my conduct upon their arrival. J
There was likewise an arzee for Cheragh Alio Khan, which was probably to the same
! purport. The Shaikh's son first shewed this letter to the Ambassador, and Mohummed Hoossain
Khan, who afterwards presented it to Cheragh Alee Khan, who aftor perusal returned a verbal
answer upon its contents.
By the Shaikh's playing these kind of tricks it appears that ho does not wish to go down
to Naqueloo. I shall act in this affair as you may direct.
I shall be permitted to depart to-morrow or next day, and make due haste to rejoin you.
On the 2nd November a letter arriving for the Ambassador, we learn that a French frigate
I of S3 guns had come to Muscat to plunder as usual, and that the Rahecmshah had by the
! blessing of God remained in safety and has most probably ore this pursued her voyage.
All other affairs hero are in their ordinary state.
152. The broker at Bushire was sent to the Sheikh of Nnkhelu, with ft
letter of the Resident demanding restitution for the plunder of the vessels.
S*«r«t aid Poll. 163. He returned to Bushire on the 12th June 1804. From the tenor
X8M,ppf9654-M58. of his report and the evasive letter which he brought back from Sheikh
Rehma, the Resident at Bushire (Mr. Lovett) felt the necessity of pursuing
coercive measures. The Sheikh proposed to restore half the goods, but even
supposing he was sincere, his offer was considered totally unworthy of consi­
deration. To accept it, the Resident thought would have been to compromise
on very low terms with a man, whose conduct fell littlo short of piracy; who
had taken advantage of the severe visitations of Providence to aggravate,
instead of relieving, the pitiable distresses of his fellow creatures and whose
exemplary punishment was in consequence an object no less desirable than
any other species of reparation.
154. The 8hiraz Government deputed one Aga Reza to enquire into the affair
and exact reparation from Sheikh Rehma, and Sheikh Nasir of Bushire, and
other Sheikhs on the coast were instructed by the Shiraz Government to
co-operate. Aga Reza, who arrived at Bushire on the 13th June 1804, was
given a grand reception by the Resident. No office of attention and respect
that was due to his personal character and the dignity of the Prince from whom
he was deputed was in the first place omitted. The Resident sent out tents for
his reception at one stage from Bushire and a party as usual on suoh occasions
to meet him on his entry into the town. He returned his first visit on the
16th June, and was on the 16th entertained at a party, at whioh some of the
principal inhabitants, amongst the rest the son of the late Ambassador, were
present.