'مقتطفات من كتاب دليل الخليج وعمان ووسط الجزيرة العربية بقلم ج ج لوريمر، الموظف المدني بحكومة الهند' [ظ‎‎١‎١] (١٨٠/٢٧)

12
Tribal wars
of the
Qawasim.
etc., 1806-
1808.
Deposition
the Qasimi
Shaikh
by the
Wahhabi
Amir. 1808.
In other directions, however, the turbulence of the Qawasim was not
altogether suspended. In 1806 some of the Qawasim espoused the side of
Saiyid Qais of Sohar in his contest with Saiyid Badar of Masqat for the mastery
of 'Oman, but they did not do so with sufficient force to prevent his being worsted
by Badar. A spirited movement by which the Qasimi Shaikh, Sultan-bin-Saqar,
recovered Khor Fakkan from the "Omani Saiyids Sa'id and Qais in May 1808 is
described in the history of the 'Oman Sultanate.
His exploit at Khor Fakkan must have been one of the last public acts of
Sultan-bin-Saqar at this time, for within the next few months he was deprived,
under orders from the Wahhabi Amir, of his general headship over the Qawasim.
He retained at first independent authority in his own port of Ras-al-Khaimah; but
in the following year (1809) even this was taken from him; Husain-bin-'Ali,
Shaikh of Rams/was nominated governor and tax-collector on behalf of the
Wahhabis over most of what is now Trucial 'Oman, including Ras-al-Khaimah;
and other Wahhabi officers were appointed to the smaller sub-divisions of the
country. The Wahhabis also possessed themselves of the forts of Fujairah,
Bithnah, and Khor Fakkan in Shamailiyah.
Attack on
the " Lively,"
1808.
Capture
of the
" Minerva,'
1808.
Capture and
re-capture of
the cruiser
" Sylph,"
1808.
Revival of piracy, 1808-1809.
Apparently before the removal of Shaikh Sultan from the Qasimi Shaikhship
the predatory instincts of his tribe had broken forth once more upon the high
seas and the "treaty of 1806 had been violated. This breach of their engagements
was the more notorious that it was committed off the coast oi India.
In April 1808, off the coast of Gujarat, the schooner "Lively," Lieutenant
Macdonald, was hemmed in by 4 Arab vessels, each larger and carrying more
men than herself, and an attempt was made by the enemy to board her; but it
was repulsed by the determined fire of the " Lively," which did great execution.
Three of the pirate craft which took part in this affair were subsequently discovered
at Surat and were taken to Bombay; but, though wounded men were found
concealed on board and the identification in other respects appeared to be
complete, the Government, " in consideration of their long detention, set them
free again to exercise their calling on some hapless coaster." This they, or others
resembling them, seem to have done with effect; for, in the course of 1808, no
less than 20 country vessels fell a prey to Arab buccaneers off the Indian coast.
About September 1808 the "Minerva," Captain Hopwood, another trading
ship belonging to Mr. Manesty of Basrah, was captured by boarders from a number
of Qasimi boats, which had maintained a running fight with her during several
successive days. The majority of the occupants were, it was said, put to a cruel
death by methods indicative of religious fanaticism; but the lives of the second
mate and carpenter and of an Armenian lady, wife of Lieutenant Taylor, Assistant
Resident at Bushehr, were spared, and they were carried prisoners to Ras-al-
Khaimah. Mrs. Taylor was successfully ransomed a few months later by
Lieutenant Bruce, the Resident at Btishehr, but her two less fortunate companions
never, apparently, regained their liberty.
On the 21st of October 1808, a few weeks after the mishap to the " Minerva,"
the H.E.I. Company's cruiser " Sylph " of only 78 tons, mounting 8 guns, was
approached by a fleet of large Arab vessels; she had been accidentally separated
from the squadron which carried Sir Harford Jones and the members of his Mission
to Persia; and Muhammad Husain Khan, one of the Persian secretaries attached
to the Mission, was actually on board of her at the time. Precluded by regulation
from using her guns until it was too late, the tiny vessel fell an easy prey to the
crowd of boarders which the Arab ships hurled on her deck from their towering
bows; and a wholesale massacre of her crew, who perished fighting desperately,
was the sequel. Among the few survivors of the action were the commander.
Lieutenant Graham, who fell, covered with wounds, down the fore hatchway, and
the Persian secretary, who hid himself in a cabin-locker. The lives of the remnant
were saved by the sudden appearance on the scene of H.M.S. " Nereide,"
Commodore Corbett, a frigate of 36 guns, at the sight of which the Qawasim took
flight in their own vessels abandoning the " Sylph," and were pursued for some
distance by the " Nereide," but without success.*
* The statement of Sir H. J. Brydges in his Brief History of the Wahauby (page 36), that the
" Nereide " sank three of the pirate vessels, is not accepted by Low, the historian of the Indian
Navy. See also a quotation from the log-book of the " Nercide " at page 46 of Morier's Journey
through Persia,