Page 162 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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CHAPTER XXVIII.
Piracies and massacre of the Survivors of the Baron Inverdale.
»i) A leg^od Piracy of tlio Fateli-er-Rakmau off the island of Maseirah, 1903.
09;. In Juno 1903 Alimud-bin-Miana, a native of ICutch, made a com­
plaint boforo the British Consul at Muskat
Srcret E., July 1906, Not. 104-110.
that as his dhow lfateh-er- Rahman (of
which ho was part owner), flying the British flag, was oil the Maseirah islnud,
it was waylaid by a numbor of native islanders, plundered of all its gear, oars
and three sails, cargo, provisions and cash and left adrift in the ocean, and
that after throe days the dhow was wrecked on the island. The Naklioda
and his crew after remaining twelve days on shore, were taken and landed by
some of the people at Sur. The Naklioda claimed now Rs. 3,862 as damages
for the loss of his vessel, provisions, cArgo and cash plundered. Another part
owner of the dhow laid a complaint bol'oro His Majosty’s British Consul-
General at Zanzibar.
G69. Commander Kemp of the Sphinx made somo investigation into the
case, hut as he was not satisfied with the truth of the story, it was decided
not to press the Sultan to exact a punitive fine from tho natives of tho island.
G70. Soon after these events there occurred tho massacre of the crew of the
S. S. Baron Inverdale, and in tho light of the recent discoveries, there was rea-
son to believe that the complaint of tho Naklioda of the Fnteh-er-Rahman
was based on faots. The Foreign and India Offices, however, decided concurring
iu the opinions expressed by Major Cox and Mr. Cave, that no further action
should be taken iu the matter (see correspondence sent to the Foreign Depart*
ment hereby Major Grey with his letter dated 27th February 1905).
lii) Wreck of the Baron Inverdale off the Kuria Maria Islands. Massacre of seventeen
of its survivors on the Maseirah Island, August 1904.
671. The Baron Inverdale was a steam ship belonging to the Hogarth
Shipping Company, Glasgow, of a regis­
Barrat E.| February 1905, Not. 342-139.
tered touungeof 2,140 tons. It left Karachi
for Port Said on 20th July 1904, with a
• European* (3 Enplithinoo) and 6 Natirca.
full cargo and a crew of 29* (?30) hands,
and one passenger. The ship stranded on ono of the Kuria Muria Islands on
2nd August 1904. On the 6t.h August the master, the passenger and all the crew
left the stranded ship on two life-boats intending to proceed to Dhofar, while
8 remained behind and were rescued by the S. S. Prome on tho 17th of August
and landed at Port Said. They were found to he Greeks, and know nothing of
the fate of the rest after the latter bad left the ship.
672. On tho 29th August Captain Grey wired to Simla of the wreck of
the Baron Inverdale. On the 31st August Captain Grey reported the rumoured
massacre near Maseirah of seventeen of the survivors of the vessel. Tho
Balhousie from Aden visited the wreck on 1st September and found the
vessel deserted. On 1st September the Lapwing was despatched to Maseirah,
and after going all round the island, could flud no trace of tlio massacre, and
reported that everybody on the island disclaimed all knowledge of the murder.
Captain Grey and tho Sultan then left for the island on 10th September on tho
Merlin and returned on 18th September, wheu ho reported that no confirma­
tory evidence against the Maseirah people was forthcoming and that no
trace of the crime existed there.
673. With a view to making tho investigation on the spot into the circum­
stances attending the massacre, the Sultan
Secret E, February 1905, Koa. 342-439 (No. 382).
revisited Maseirah on the 26th September
1904. The investigations were so far successful that ho returned to Maskat on
the 8th October with nine of the murderers ; a dozen other prisoners, including
some principal residents of Dawwa and Ura-ar-Itassas, who helped to conceal
tho crime on the occasion of bis former visit; and certain relics. So far as
the facts are ascertainable, it appears that tho boat containing 17 persons, of
whom 13 were Englishmen, three natives, and one an European or an Eurasian