"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٨‎٨‎٦] (١٧٨٢/١٠٤١)

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Supple
mentary
engagement
relating to
the Slave
Trade, 10th
May 1866.
Reparation
obtained
for the ill-
treatment
by Shaikh
Muhammad
of British
subjects in
Bahrain,
1858.
886
eons of 'Abdullab, when the negotiations were frustrated by the instabil
ity and unreasonableness of Shaikh Muhammad. Yusuf-bin-Ibrahim,
the principal among the four Bahrain merchants who had migrated
to Qais in 1849, still refused to return to his home without a guarantee
of British protection, which could not be granted ; and he eventually died
at Lingeh in the following year (1853).
On the 10th of May 1856 an engagement relating to the Slave
Trade, supplementary to the Treaty of 1847, was accepted by the Shaikh
of Bahrain ; in its terms it was identical with those obtained from the
Shaikhs of Trucial ; Oman in the same year.
In 1858 Shaikh Muhammad, now described as " a man who combined
"in himself the worst qualities of a tyrant, the most unbridled lust
" and greed of wealth, and an incontrollable temper, ignorance and impa-
c( tience against restraint," proceeded to lay an embargo on a Baghlah under
the British flag, to prohibit vessels owned by Indian merchants in
Bahrain from visiting Qatif, and to levy duties on exports in addition to
those on imports, which alone had been taken before; and it was com
plained that his tone to Haji Qilsim, the Residency Agent in Bahrain,
had become very insolent.
Accordingly, in September 1858, Captain Felix Jones, the Resident
at Bushehr, sent his Assistant, Lieutenant Disbrowe, in the " Clive"
sloop-of-war to convey a letter and a remonstrance to the chief. The
release of the impounded British Baghlah having been at once obtained,
the Shaikh's brother ; Ali became, as usual, the medium of communica
tion, and explained that the prohibition against vessels under British
colours visiting Qatif was intended to prevent complications that might
otherwise occur through the enmity of the Wahhabi governor against the
Shaikh of Bahrain; Lieutenant Disbrowe replied that " the British flag
as fully able to uphold its dignity in every corner of the globe without
assistance from other powers.In regard to customs duties, it was
explained that the British Government desired that they should not be of
an arbitrary or oppressive character, a proposition to which Shaikh
Ali made no objection ; and a promise was given that the Residency
Agent should in future be treated with the respect due to his position.
The Shaikh, after an unsuccessful attempt to induce Lieutenant
Disbrowe to pay him the first visit on shore, then came off to the " Clive "
and expressed his regret at what had occurred; and his call was then
returned by Lieutenant Disbrowe and Commodore Jenkins under a salute
to the British flag.
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