Page 99 - The Pirate Coast (By Sir Charles Belgrave)

anchor at the south end of the harbour, off Muharraq, to prevent
any vessels from escaping.
While Loch was waiting impatiently for the return of Shaikh
Abdulla, the Banian (Hindu trader), who had supplied Bruce with
the information about the European Lady came on board. He
was probably a forbear of some of the Indian merchants who
arc now in Bahrain for one or two of the firms have been
established there for over a century and a half. In later years, the
Indian merchants played an important part in the commerce of
Bahrain; besides dealing with imports from India, they traded
extensively in pearls and, for many years, in the time of Shaikh
Isa bin Ali, the great-grandfather of the present Shaikh, the customs
were farmed out to a Hindu merchant. During the last war, the
Indian merchants did valuable service to the country by importing
essential foodstuffs which were rationed, and sold at controlled
prices, though they could have made fortunes by importing
the goods to other states in the Gulf where there were no
controls.
Loch immediately questioned the Banian about the where­
abouts of the European Lady, and he received a most surprising
reply. ‘To my utter surprise and astonishment, as well as joy,
the Banian flatly contradicted the statement which he had for­
warded to Bruce of there having been a European Lady brought
there at all. He stated that lie himself had been mistaken, but
that several women had been there for some days exposed for sale.
On the appearance of the squadron, they had been hastily em­
barked and returned again to Ras al Khaima. However, he
added that there were yet in the harbour several pirate vessels.’
When Shaikh Abdulla returned, he confirmed what the Banian
had said, and told Loch that the women in question were ‘native
Indians’, and had been taken away by the pirates when the British
ships were sighted.
Loch then gave orders for a landing party to deal with the
pirate boats, and he told the Banian that he must go with the
sailors to identify the pirate vessels, ‘that there might be no mis­
take in the destruction or capture of other property’. Banians
are not conspicuous for their bravery, but in this case it was
hardly surprising that the Banian ‘pointedly refused to do this,
stating that it would be his utter ruin, and perhaps the means
hereafter of his being put to death’. Loch accepted the Banian’s

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