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Debaye and tell him to refrain from interference in matters which concerned the Chief of
Shargah and his feudatory at Fujcyrah. The Chief of Debaye submitted the following
explanation, that the Sheikh of Fujcyrah, being in trouble, had appealed to him for protec­
tion against the raids of Bedouins from which the Chief of Shargah was unable to protect
him, that he, the Chief of Debaye, asked Sheikh Sakar if he had any objection to his inter­
ference, and, no objection being made, he took the necessary steps to keep the Bedouins
back and recovered from them the property which had been taken. Subsequently the
Mazaria tribe, subject to the Chief of Shargah committed raids on some subjects of Fuje-
yrah. Communications again passed between the Chiefs of Shargah and Dcbuye, and it
was agreed that hostilities were to cease pending a settlement of the dispute according to
Shcra law. The Residency Agent at Shargah, in a letter to me, dated the 3rd February
1902, confirmed the explanation given by the Chief of Debaye, and further stated that, while
the two Chiefs of Shargah and Debaye were in communication, the Mazaria again raided
subjects of Fujcyrah and the Chief of Debaye demanded redress from the Chief of Shargah,
who deputed his uncle Sheikh Salim, the ex-ruler of Shargah, to discuss the matter with
the Chief of Debaye. It was then agreed that the two Chiefs should send agents to the
parties who were at feud ordering them to suspend hostilities and inviting them to Debaye
for the purpose of settling their disputes according to Shcra. The invitation, however,
does not appear to have been accepted. On receipt of the explanation given by the Chief
of Debaye, I wrote to the Chief of Shargah informing him that the Chief of Debaye had, it
seemed, only interfered in the interstsof peace, and I enjoined on him, his obligation to do
justice and give protection to his feudatory at Fujevrah. I advised him to settle his diffi­
culties with the Chief of Debaye and the Sheikh of Fujcyrah in an amicable manner, and I
informed him that he could count upon the good offices of the Residency Agent at Shargah
1q the matter.
8. Early in April, I received a report from the Agent at Shargah that the Chief of
Shargah had collected a force of about 150 Bedouins with the intention of marching against
Fujeyrah and other places in that neighbourhood, which had come to an agreement with
the Sheikh of Fujeyrah and had renounced the authority of the Joasmis. The Chiefs of
Debaye and Aj man were determined to oppose this movement on the part of the Shargah
Chief who had therefore sent a messenger to the Chief of Abu Dhabi for the purpose, it
appears, of entring into an alliance with that Chief. The Chiefs of Shargah and Abu Dhabi
had been on bad terms for some years past, but the Shargah messenger succeeded in bringing
about a friendly understanding between them. The Chief of Shargah agreed to remove his
objection to the settlement, by the Chief f Abu Dhabi, of the Sudan tribe at Zaora, and
an offensive and defensive alliance between Shargah and Abu Dhabi was entered into.
The Sheikh of Abu Dhabi then sent his son to endeavour to bring about a reconciliation
between the Chief of Shargah and the Chiefs of Ajman, Debaye, and Um-el-Kowein
but without success.
9. Soon after this Major Cox, Political Agent at Maskat, visited me at Bushire.and
informed me that Hamad-bin-Abdulla of Fujeyrah was at Muskat and had asked the Sultan
to help him and to appoint a Wali at Fujeyrah. The Sultan, so Major Cox said, was
apparently under the impression that Fujeyrah was independent. I accordingly wrote to
His Highness the Sultan on the subject, and copies of my letter and of the Sultan’s reply
Eocloiures Not. i and 3. are herewith forwarded for the information of
Government.
10. As Major Cox intended to visit the Batineh Coast in H. M. S. Redbreazt, I asked
_ . M him to call in at Fujeyrah. A copy of Major
oc osure 0. 3. Cox's report to me regarding his visit to Fujeyrah
is herewith forwarded. Meanwhile, shortly after my arrival at Shiraz, 1 received informa­
tion from Bushire, which led me to think that the alliance which had been entered into
between Shargah and Abu Dhabi, consequent on the removal of the former’s objection with
regard to Zaora, might be the cause of trouble on the Arab Coast. 1 consequently sent the
Assistant Political Agent at Bahrein to visit the Arab Coast and to report on the slate of
affairs. Mr. Gaskin visited the Arha Coast, in the end of May,and in his report to me,
dated the 2nd June, he informed me that the Chief of Shragah had entered into an offensive
and defensive alliance with the Chief of Abu Dhabi, and had consequently remorved his
objection regarding Zaora. It was evident, however, that the Shargah Chief was well aware
of, and, indeed, counted upon the fact that the settlement of Zaora by the Abu Dhabi Chief
would not be allowed by the Political Resident. With regard to hujeyrah, the Chief of
Shargah explained that he had done all in his power to conciliate the Sheikh, and had done
his best to recover the property raided by Bedouins from Fujeyrah people, but his control
over the Bedouins was weak. He said that the Joasmi Sheikhs greatly resented the Debaye
Chief's interference in the matter, and that the action of the Chief of Debaye in attempting
to gain influence over Sheikhs subordinate of Shargah was a serious menace to him and
might result in his deposal from his position of Chief of Shargah. He was, he said, quite
willing to meet the Sheikh of Fujeyrah in a friendly spirit and overlook his recent behaviour.
Mr. Gaskin then proceeded to Debaye and told the Chief that it was my wish that he should
cease to interfere in the aflairsof Fujeyrah. The Chief explained that he had only acted in
accordance with Arab usage, and that it would be difficult for him to withdraw now, as he
would thereby lose the confidence of the Arabs. He, however, gave Mr. Gaskin a letter to
me in which he agreed to follow my advice and to abstain from interference in Fujeyrah
matters, butasked me to induce the Chief of Shargah to arrange a settlement of the Fujeyrah
Sheikh's claims.

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