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and from Bassidore addressed a letter to the resident asking to be allowed to live
there and to be taken under British protection. No reply was sent to their letter
and they apparently returned to Lingah. In 1900 a large number of the tribe
wished to emigrate to Bassidore and got the Chief of Bahrein to write to the Resi­
dent on the subject. Colonel Kemball thought that it would be inadvisable to
offer the tribe any encouragement to come to Bassidore. He therefore decided
not to reply to the Chief, but if he referred to the matter again the Resident pro­
posed to reply that the fact of this tribe emigrating to Bassidore would not make
any change in their nationality.
377. From a report, dated 12th January 1901, of the Resident it appears that the
A1 Bu Smeit originally inhabited a place called Tinbit in the vicinity of Khor Shagig
in Katar, and in the latter part of the eighteenth century they joined the A1 Khali-
fah faction of the Allubis at Zobara where they resided until about 18to, in which
year they removed to Jou in Bahrein. About 20 years later, in consequence of
a blood-feud arising between them and the Niaim tribe of Bahrein, they emigrated
to Damam, a place about 10 miles below Katif. At Damam they appear to have
remained about seven years and then returned to Bahrein for a short period, and
subsequently emigrated in about 1840 to Lingah where they have been residing
to this day.
378. The tribe rendered assistance to Sheikh Muhammad bin Khalifah against
the Persians in February 1899 when Lingah was re-taken by the Darya Begi.
After the capture of Lingah the Darya Begi, it appears, inflicted a heavy fine on
the tribe for their participation in the rebellion, and the tribe decided to emigrate
to the Arab coast, as they feared the Persians would increase the annual tax
payable by them on their pearling boats. The Darya Begi hearing of their
intentions, he gave their chief Yousef bin Ahmad assurances to the effect that
the tax would not be raised and they would not be further interfered with.
279. The Lingah authorities appear to have waived the assurances given by the
Darya Begi in 1899, and either levied or demanded a heavier tax than the tribe
had been accustomed to pay, and for this reason they desired to emigrate to
Bassidore where they hoped to be out of the reach of Persian exactions.
(v) Desire of Sheikh Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Mether of Jezirat Sheikh Shuaib to
emigrate to Bassidore, 1902.
280. In November 1901 this Chief addressed a letter to the Assistant Political
Agent, Bahrein, stating that the ancestors
External A., March 190a, Not. 31-33.
of his tribe had been once domiciled at
Shargah, but had emigrated about 50 years ago to the island of Jezirat Sheikh
and that they now wished to settle at Bassidore under British protection, appoint­
ing an agent to look after this property at the island. His kinsmen numbered
about 15 persons.
281. Colonel Kemball was of opinion that the emigration at that juncture of
a large number of Persian subjects to Bassidore might give rise to undesirable
complications without any corresponding advantage Irom our point of view. He
therefore instructed the Assistant Political Agent to inform Sheikh Ahmed, if he
referred to the matter again, that the facts of his emigrating to Bassidore would
not affect his status as a Persian subject so far as his properties situated
within the Persian territories was concerned, and desired that no encouragement
whatever should be offered to the Sheikh.
(vi) Proposed British trading settlement at Bassidore, 1902.
282. In March 1902 Colonel Kemball reported that two Baniahs had asked
Secret e, j„ir ,90c, No.. 4*48. permission to land 10,000 bags of rice at
Bassidore and build a godown near the
landing place. He had previously instructed the Coal .Agent that he was not to
prevent any British subjects from settling there if they wished to do so, and he
now proposed to write to him that he must inform any settlers there that they
must understand that any buildings which they might erect must be of a tempo­
rary nature, and if thev wished to settle at the place they must inform the Resident
of their wishes and requirements, so that steps might be taken to allot sites to
them.

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