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Establishment of the Air-Route 95

that coulcl check Britain. Furthermore, events on the Iranian coast,
such as the failure of Britain to help her protege the shaykh of
Muhammarah, the refusal of Iran to recognise British passports
issued to people of Bahrain, and other assertions of Iranian indcp cn-
deuce, seemed to have been regarded on the Trucial Coast as
indications of the general decline of Britain.7 As further proof of
diminishing prestige, Biscoc cited the many acts of discourtesy to
which British officers had in recent years been subjected by the
rulers of the Coast, and complained of the inadequacy of the
British position: ‘our policy in the Gulf seems to be to grovel
on the one side and to bully on the other’.8
The stronger line that he suggested, and put into operation,
was to inform the rulers that aircraft would land in their various
territories, and that any hostile act against them ‘would meet with
the gravest displeasure’.9 Accordingly, he sent the petrol barge
to Ras al-Khaimah on 21 May 1930. At its arrival, Sultan’s frustrated
anger and sense of humiliation was redoubled. He protested about
the barge and ordered its removal, threatening all kinds of trouble.
Although the notables of Ras al-Khaimah informed the Residency
Agent that they were opposed to their ruler’s attitude, armed men
were posted alongside the creek, obstructing the progress of the
barge, which had to be anchored a mile outside the town. Sultan
remained firm in his opposition to the barge, even though it was
outside the town, and warned that he would not be responsible
for the safety of the Residency Agent if it remained where it
was. An attempt to dissuade him from his stand was made without
success by the rulers of Dubai and Umm al-Qaiwain, and the
headman of Hamriyyah, all of whom went specially to Ras al-Khai­
mah; so Biscoe decided to go there himself.10 He arrived on 1
June 1930, and promptly sent for Sultan.
Although at first the ruler announced that he would visit the
Resident, he finally sent his brother in his place. Once again,
the Resident asked to see Sultan, and he stated a deadline by
which he had to appear. Sultan ignored this, and soon both men
began to assume entrenched positions. Sultan cut off the water
supply to the Residency Agent’s house at Ras al-Khaimah, obliging
‘Isa to live, temporarily, on board HMS Triad. Next, the rulers
of Dubai and Umm al-Qaiwain and the headman of Hamriyyah
declared a boycott of Ras al-Khaimah until Sultan showed some
courtesy.11 Although the British authorities regarded the matter
as a test case for the successful establishment of the air-route,
and consequently decided to deal severely with Sultan for his obdurate
behaviour, an official of the India Office remarked, ‘one cannot
help feeling some sympathy with the Trucial Sheikhs who are