"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٢‎٦‎٩] (١٧٨٢/١٤٢٤)

1269
despatches in 1778-79 was first attacked and wounded by Arabs in the
desert and then captured by the British at Kuwait.
Recovery of Basrah by the Turks; 1779.
The occupation of hasiah was for the Persians a burdensome and Rumours and
unprofitable enterprise ; and early in 1779 it came to an end. The
Turkish Government had never regarded the loss of the place as final,
and from time to time the invaders were made anxious by reports of
warlike preparations on the part of the Turks. In September 1776,
though trade between Baghdad and Shiraz remained open, it was stated
that Abdullah, Pasha of Baghdad, had received a large supply of money
fiom the Porte and was about to attack the Persians; and about May
1 777 an immediate movement by the Turks for the recovery of Basrah
was anticipated with pleasure by the inhabitants of the unfortunate town,
while a Turkish invasion of Persia by more than one route was also
predicted; but neither of these expectations was realised. In January
1778 it was asserted at Basrah, and in the following month the news
was confirmed, that negotiations for a peace between Persia and Turkey
were in progress at Shiraz; but up to the time of Karim KhanVdeath,
on the '^nd of March 17 79, the discussions had not in any way affected
the situation at Basrah.
Private interest in the end brought about the change which Spontaneous
considerations of public interest had failed to effect. On or about evacuat i on of
the 16th of March 1 7 79 Sadiq Khan sent for Sheikh Darwish and Mulla SadiqVhan,
Ahmad, the secretary of the former Turkish Mutasallim of Basrah, and ^ March
informed them that, in consequence of the death of the Vakil, he was about
to leave for Shiraz with the whole Persian garrison; that he proposed,
pending the return of Sulaiman Agha, whom he would cause to be release
from captivity in Persia, to entrust the government of the town to them
selves; but that, if they refused, he would make it over to the;Ka'ab Shaikh.
The persons in question, after consulting Messrs. Latouche and Abraham
and obtaining from them a loan of 600 Tumans for administrative'expenses,
agreed to accept the charge ; and on the 19th of March Sadiq Khan left
the town with the last of his troops and crossed to the left bank of
the Shatt-al-'Arab. On the following day the ships of the Persian fleet
at Basrah, which was composed of squadrons from Rig, Ganaveh and
ehr. left for their home ports ; and, notwithstanding fears of an