ملف رقم ٢١٨٢ لسنة ١٩١٣، الجزء ٤ "الخليج الفارسي: السياسة تجاه ابن سعود (بعثة النقيب شكسبير)" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٢] (٤٢٦/٢٤٥)

4.
He came accordingly, accompanied by Abdul-Aziz bin
Salim, and opened the conversation by stating that the Turkish
Government, after having made an unsucces -ful attempt to induce
him to proceed to Constantinople, had directed h-iri to visit Bin
*T;8ud and to try and persuade tha.t chief to rise against the Bri
tish Government: that he had no intention of visiting him: and
that he wished to place himself unreservedly in my hands. He
further explained that he had only telegraphed to his men at
Ziyadiah on the Basrah river directing them to oppose the British
advance under compulsion by the Basrah officials, and that the
telegram had reached them after they had allowed the force to
pass without molestation; and added that he hesitated to join
you at Muhammerah as the Turks at Basrah would be sure to hear
of his having dtone so and would then take revenge by murdering
Mb children and destroying his property in and about the town.
h. I replied, that I could not believe that the Turks would go
to the length of murdering his relatives even on abcount of his
disobedience of their orders, and after some discussion it was
decided that I should send to you a mess a e giving the purport
of our conversation and asking for instructions as to S q iyid
TaLib's disposal. This was accordingly done, a messenger oeing
despatched to H.M.S. H Ocean M that same night. The following
morning i visited His Excellency the Shaikh who approved of the
course I had taken, and, as usual, said that he would help in
the matter in any way that might oe required of him.
6. On the 14th Saiyid Tulib called upon me again and enquired
whether any ansoer had been received from you. Upon rqy replying
in the negative he took a new line, for which I was not unpre-
pared knowing his reputation. He informed me that it would be
difficult for the British to capture Basrah without his assist
ance: that he had te-made heard from Shaikh Khaz’al that certain
promises had been made to him in return for nio help, that he
had not himself seen either the letter or the Consul at Muham-
merah, but that in his opinion the terms upon which his aid was
requested were not sufficiently attractive. He made no mention
of having definitely refused to accept them, and I gathered