Page 212 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

200 Records of Bahrain
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It would also render difficult confiscation of property, boats, etc., as no
doubt Shaikh Isa and his following would lay claim to and adduce proofs
(forged or otherwise) of the ownership of nearly all the property left in
Budaiya. I therefore advised Shaikh Hamad to communicate with Shaikh
Isa and sfiy that while he would not opposo tho whole tribe going he could
not allow .two-thirds to go away.and one-third to stay. Either all must go
or all must stay. In tho former easo however they must tako the conse­
quences which would doubtless be those decided on during our discussion.
viz., confiscation of property and boats, release of divers from their con­
tracts and prevention oi pearling on the Bahrain banks; in meeting out
punishment of this nature Shaikh Ilamad would have our support. Shaikh
Hanuid said lie would intimate to the Dowasir at Budaiya that either the
whole tribe must clear out or all return to Budaiya within ten days (ex­
piring on the 18th instant), otherwise the portion remaining in Budaiya
would be expelled or the whole absconding tribe would be punished in tho
manner indicated above. ,
I hope that the recent difficulties experienced by the absconding por­
tion of the Dowasir will make them see reason and return, and in order
to help them to make up their minds I have arranged with tho Senior Naval
Officer, Persian Gulf, to send a ship and he has kindly arranged that
II.M.S. "Crocus” will visit Bahrain on the 14th and remain thero
for some little time. If the absconding portion of the tribe decide not to
return and the portion remaining do not wish to leave, it may be necessary
‘for the "Crocus” to threaten to bombard Budaiya or perhaps even to fire
a few rounds, but I do not anticipate that much coercion will be required,
f beg that Government will be good enough to authorize me to ask H. M. S.
"Crocus” to inflict a limited bombardment on Budaiya, if necessary.
As regards the portion of the tribe at Dammam, J presume it will not
be necessary to take any steps against them at present. Should they give
trouble later on they could doubtless if necessary be bombarded, though
ships cannot get very near the place owing to the shoal water—in fact they
would have to lie somewhere between three and four miles off as far as I*
can make out from the chart. In any ease before anything is done in this
direction the permission of His Majesty’s Government would have to be
accorded, and I should not fail to obtain it prior to taking any active
measures against the Dowasir in their new habitat.
In mv telegram above mentioned I alluded to the intrigues of Bin
oaud with the Dowasir. We have no conclusive proof but only strong
ground for suspicion. But I think that Bin Saud considers that, as the
subsidy has now been definitely stopped, we have ho means of putting
pressure on him. I therefore think it would be advisable to inform him
that we have grave grounds for thinking that he has been intriguing with
tribes in Bahrain, which is a breach of Article VI of his Treaty with us,
and to remind him that if he persists in disregarding this article of the
1 reaty we still have a means of bringing pressure to bear on him, which is
to restrict the export of supplies to his Territory from India and Iraq.
A copy of this despatch is being forwarded to His Majesty’s Secretary
of State for the Colonics, for information.

OOr Delhi—L XI—383—28-11 *23—34.