"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٦‎٦‎٠] (١٧٨٢/٨٠٣)

660
sequel: it involved the acceptance of naval and military aid from the
Saiyid of ^Onian and the ultimate occupation of Qishra under his authority,
but without his financial assistance.
attributed to undue interference by the British Government in native affairs in the
Gulf; he endeavoured to explain away the " Bassein " and " Viper " cases of 1797 •
and he represented the QawSsim and the 'Utub as obliged by the Wahhabis to engage
in piracy against their will. Of the Qawasim he wrote : " The Joassmees then, not
" being free agents but compelled by the Chiefs placed over them by the Wahabee to
" engage in maritime depredations, do not appear to be bo atrociously guilty, so deeply
stained with the crimes of piracy, as I thought when I was less acquainted with their
" histoiy. * » # * The prevalence of piracy, then, in the Gnlph of Persia
" may be attributed wholly and exclusively to the instigation of the Wahabee tribe.
Under that impression I feel disposed in some degree to advocate the cause even of the
" Joassmee tribe, and to palliate their enormities." Mr. Warden regarded the Saijid of
Oman, on whose weakness and restlessness he dwelt at length, as a most unBuitable
chief to be invested with any sort of general supremacy in the Gulf ; and it cannot
be doubted that he stood on firm ground when he insisted that the Saiyid had no valid
claim to the overlordship of the Pirate Coast, that the Persian Government would
object to his being placed in possession of Bahrain, and that fcis claim to sovereign
rights over Qishm, as against Persia, was probably ill-founded. Mr. Warden
was in favour ot reducing the strength of the proposed expedition and of limiting ita
scope to the restoration of the authority of Shaikh Sultan, the lawful non-Wahhabi
head of the Qawasim, for which purpose he would have invoked the co-ooeratiou not
only of the Saiyid of'Oman, but also of the Shihuh, the Bani Yas, the 'Utub of
Baluain and Kuwait, the Persians, and the Turks. He agreed, however, with the
„eiieial opinion that a British station should be established on the island of Qishm,
but to thi* end he would have negotiated with the Government of Persia rather than
with that of 'Oman, and he was even in favour of a transfer of the Persian Gnlf
Bfsidency from Bushehr to Qishm. He urged the desirability of a convention with
the tiibes for the suppression of piracy, the importance of a right to visit all ports and
destroy anned vessels, aud the necessity of a prohibition of the export of ship-building
timber from India.
Some of Mr. "VV arden s suggestions had results which are traceable in the subse
quent picceedingg ; but his general line of argument did not meet with the approval
of Government. In a minute, dated 6th September 1819, Sir E. Nepean, the Governor
of Bombay, observed : 'The Board is already in possession of my opinion on the rest
^ of the points ccntained in Mr. Warden s minute ; and all that mav be necessary for me
" at pre8ent to t add is that the impressions formed by all the most intelligent officers,
(( nava ^ an( l military, who have for some years past visited the Gulph are directly in
<( 0 PP 08 ^ on ^ those entertained b}' Mr. Warden ; and so far from thinking they (? the
^ tribes) are disposed to quit their present predatory habits and to have recourse to
'< k mi " ero ' a ^ P ursu it8, they consider their present habits so deeply rooted that nothing
Ut 8trong hand 0 * P ower will keep them down. What said the Chief of Rasell-
^ 3 0n " ^' Uce 8 ieiuonstances in consequence of his breach of engagement on
< 1 urt of home vessels belonging to our native subjects ? ' If we (meaning the
(e » ' ^ ^ eit a,<e< l e to the proposition of respecting vessels navigated by natives
of India, we must starve. "*