"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٦‎٥‎٥] (١٧٨٢/٧٩٨)

already present there, was meanwhile sent to Ras-al-Khaimah to
demand an explanation, and returned to Bushehr with a flat denial, on
the part o£ the Qawasim. of their complicity in the Red Sea affair ; to
this denial were subjoined the further curious justifications, that the
Qawasim had promised to respect the lives and property of Christians only,
not those of idolatrous Hindus, and that in any case they could not recog
nise as native subjects of Britain any inhabitants of the western coast of
India except those of Bombay and Mang-alore. The Resident, Lieutenant
Bruce, and his Assistant, Lieutenant Taylor, arrived off Ras-al-Khaimah
on the 28th of November with the " Challenger/'' " Mercury/ - ' " Vestal
and " Ariel/"' and early the next morning a letter addressed to the Shaikh
was conveyed ashore by Lieutenant Taylor, but he was not allowed an
interview with the chief. A little later, however, Hasan-bin-Rahmah
consented to see Captain Bridges of the " Challenger/"' whom Mr.
J. S. Buckingham, afterwards well-known as a traveller and journalist,
accompanied in the capacity of interpreter ; and by these gentlemen it
was ascertained from the chief personally that he had both received the
letter of the Resident and fully understood its contents. In that com
munication discussion of the principal point, whether the Qawasim were
the authors of the crime in the Red Sea or not, was refused; the
immediate restoration of the plundered vessels and property or, alterna
tively, the payment of their value in cash was demanded ; the surrender
of Amir Ibrahim for punishment was claimed ; and it was added that
two sons of Shaikhs must be delivered up to the Government of Bombay
as hostages for the future behaviour of the tribe. In event of failure to
comply with all or any of these terms the squadron, under the instruc
tions received by the Resident, was simply to withdraw after denouncing
the displeasure of Government against Qawasim. The answer of the
Shaikh, delivered at noon on the 27th, was insolent and evasive ; but he
was given a further period of 24 hours for consideration, and meanwhile a
wind from the north-west arose, which compelled the squadron to weigh
anchor and run over for she?ter to the coast of Qishm. On the SOth
the ships again appeared before Ras-al-Khaimah and a fresh period of
grace was allowed the Shaikh, terminating at noon on the following day.
Hasan-bin-Rahmah continued obstinate and adhered firmly to his own
counter-proposal, which was that he should be allowed to send envoys
to Bomba}' to settle the matter there.
On the receipt of this reply the squadron stood in as close to the Futile attack
town as they could without going aground and opened fire upon four
A.rab vessels which were anchored close in-shore; but the range, which I3ecember
was fully a mile, was too great for all but a few of their guns; and,
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