Page 52 - The Pirate Coast (By Sir Charles Belgrave)

conversed, and the gentleness of his deportment’. I Ic had a
‘handsome person, a warlike air, intrepid courage, and was an
able politician and a skilful general’. Me was killed in 1813,
fighting against Muscat troops.
Having carried out the instructions to destroy the pirate fleet,
the British squadron returned to Bombay, leaving Muscat in im­
minent danger of being overwhelmed by the Wahabis. The
authorities in Bombay assumed that, by burning the pirates’ boats,
they had put an end to piracy. For a year or two it seemed that
this object had been achieved, but the suppression of piracy by the
British, until 1820, was a constant repetition of events. The
pirates remained quiescent until they had built and acquired a new
fleet, then, in spite of the Sultan’s efforts to destroy them, they
became as strong as they had been before the British expedition.
By 1814, thejoasmi, with the support of the Wahabis, had once
again embarked on a campaign of piracy, plundering ships, mas­
sacring crews, and attacking ships sailing under the British flag,
although the power of their Wahabi allies was beginning to wane.
This was due to the advance of the Egyptians into Arabia, and the
death of the Wahabi Amir, Saud bin Saud, who was succeeded by
his son Abdulla, ‘to whom public opinion ascribed talents of a
very inferior sort’. Several times during these years, both the
Joasmi and the Wahabis professed a desire for a treaty with Britain,
but nothing came of their advances except assurances to the
Wahabis that Britain’s intentions towards them were friendly.
In 1816, the East India Company’s ship Dcriah Dowlat, was
attacked by pirates who killed most of the crew. This was fol­
lowed by a badly managed demonstration by four British ships
offRas al Khaima. Bruce, the Resident in Bushire, who accom­
panied the expedition, demanded from the Joasmi Shaikh the
restoration of plundered property and the delivery of some of the
Shaikh’s relations as hostages for good behaviour. The orders
from Bombay were that, if the pirates complied with these de­
mands, no further action was to be taken, but if they refused to do
what was ordered, ‘the squadron was to signify to the Chief that
he might expect the displeasure of the British Government’. So
vague a threat would have little effect on any Arab Shaikh, cither
in those days or today, and it is not surprising that it was ignored
by the pirates.
Buckingham went on shore with the naval commander as inter-
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