Page 50 - The Pirate Coast (By Sir Charles Belgrave)

Ras al Kliaima was the first town to be attacked. Troops
landed under the cover of the ships’ guns and, after several bayonet
charges, the town was taken. Some sixty pirate boats were burnt,
and houses in the town were set on fire. Early on the following
morning, the troops were withdrawn and re-embarked, as it was
reported that a large body of Wahabis was coming to the help of
the Joasmi, though none was seen. The expedition left Ras al
Kliaima without receiving any formal submission from the pirates
who had retired inland. The squadron then crossed the Gulf to
Linga on the Persian coast, which was taken without opposition.
From Linga, part of the expedition went to Luft, on Kishm
Island, while the other part returned to Muscat. Thejoasmi who
held Luft refused to surrender and put up a strong opposition:
from their fortifications they picked off the attackers with their
muskets. In their red coats and conspicuous uniforms the British
troops must have made good targets. A howitzer which had
been taken ashore, had to be abandoned, and the troops were
forced to retire under the fire of the enemy. The Joasmi were
given an ultimatum to surrender within a certain time but, early
in the morning, before the expiration of the truce, to the surprise
of the whole squadron, a man was seen waving the Union Jack
on the summit of the walls. Lieutenant Hall, who commanded
the Fury, had gone ashore alone during the night, and made his
way to the gate of the fort which had been abandoned by the
garrison. The few Arabs who remained, fled on seeing him,
believing that he was leading a party of troops. The town was
then occupied, and handed back to the Sultan from whom it had
been taken by the Joasmi. Several other ports were visited by
the squadron, and pirate boats were destroyed.
The last place to be dealt with was Shinas, and here the opera­
tions ended disastrously for the Sultan. In January 1810, the
combined force attacked what Maurizi describes as ‘the obnoxious
town’ of Shinas. Negotiations for a surrender came to nothing,
and parleys were drawn out by the pirates in order to gain time.
The town was taken, after a bombardment, and the inhabitants,
except for a few who were taken prisoner, having handed over
their arms, were allowed to leave. To enable the British and
Indian troops to distinguish the Sultan’s men the Muscat troops
had been issued with pieces of sailcloth to tic round their heads,
but as most Arabs normally wear white hcadcloths, this method
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