'Précis of correspondence regarding the affairs of the Persian Gulf, 1801-1853' [‎59r] (117/344)

Part V- Chap. XXV.
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that cordiality and good humour which are so esential to the public iutereits and the
success of your operations.
35. The Governor in Council has authorized some articles to be supplied to you to be
disposed of as presents to the Imam or such other persons, to whom it may be proper to pay
these marks of attention, and leaves their distribution entirely to your discretion. The
rank and station of His Highness will, he is persuaded, not to be lost sight of by you and
that you will endeavour to cultivate the good opinion and confidence of His Highness, so
essential in the present moment to the common interests.
8^. As Government must be anxious to learn the actual state of the enemy's force in
the different piratical ports and the prospect you have of destroying it, it will be very
desirable that you should allow no opportunity to escape you of giving him the fullest
information you may be able to collect on these subjects, and of the course you may mean to
pursue under the circumstances that may present themselves after your arrival at your
rendezvous, the better to enable him to decide on the nature of the further instructions
which may hereafter be necessary to be transmitted to you for your guidance in the execution
of the service confided to you.
37. Mr. Jukes has been directed to furnish you with a copy of his proceedings and to
consider himself under your orders on your arrival in the Gulph.
205. In a letter, dated 27th November 1819, to the address of Major-
Genoral Keir, Bombay Government modified the instructions contained in the
letter of the 27 th October so as to vest him with a discretionary authority to
make over Ras-ul-Khima, after its capture, to Sultan-bin-Saggar, if he should
find that the Chief had sufficient weight with the tribe to render it probable
that he would be able to retain it. But should Sultan-bin-Saggar be found
not to have that degree of influence, the Government desired that the place
should be transferred to any person whom the tribe may elect as their Chief,
provided he was unconnected with the Wahabis and unlikely to resume the
piratical habits which had led to the British interference.
206. The Bombay Government now presided over by Sir Monstuart
Elphinstone addressed the following important despatch to the Government of
Marquis of Hastings at Port William, dated 15th December 1819, indicating
the line of policy which they proposed should be followed in Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
matters :—
We have postponed a reply to Your Lordship's despatch of the 28th of August last, on the
subiect of the intended expedition to the Gulf of Persia under an expectation that the
information subsequently transmitted to Your Lordship would have led to our being furnished
with ppecific instructions in respect to the line of policy which it might be deemed
expedient to pursue for the suppression of piracy in that quarter, a review however of the
documents which hive been furnished to Your Lordship affording us reason to conclude that
it may be considered to be our duty to submit a specific plan in respect to the extent of our
interposition for the attainment of that object, we proceed under that impression to offer
what appears to us to be an arrangement the best adapted to* the attainment of our views,
without pledging, in any serious responsibility, the guarantee of the British Government to its
observance.
2. Referring in the first instance to the propositions contained in the despatch from the
late Government of the 21st of July we are of opinion that wt should abstain from all
interference in the pretensions which are advanced to the occupation of Bahrein, under a
distinct explanation to the Sheikh of that island, that so long as he restrains his tribe from
the prosecution of acts of aggression on the high seas, and carries on those commercial
pursuits in which they would appear to have been formerly engaged, the ports of India
shall be open to his vessels, and that he may rely in experiencing from the British Govern
ment every degree of encouragement and of friendly intercourse, but that, on the contrary,
if any indications of a piratical spirit should manifest themselves, we shall be compelled to
adopt those measures of coercion which we are prosecuting against the Joassmese. An
engagement similar to that negotiated by Mr. Bruce in the year 1816 would probably tend
to convince the Uttoobi Arabs of the integrity of our intentions.
3. The transference then of the island of Bahrein to the Imam of Muscat being abandonedy
the proposition with which it was coupled, of His Highness's subsidizing a British force, should
be relinquished, as tinder any circumstances impolitic and objectionable.
4. With respect to the Joassmese, the reduction of the Port of Rassul-Jchima and
» ■ * * ,7 - . ^ those contiguous to it from Kuiny to Abbo Heyle,
Sw'w^OrAt tU<0 -nd the anaihilition of tbat influence under which
it would appear to have engaged, in so extensive
a degree in piratical pursuits, will operate no doubt as an immediate check upon the habits of
the tribe. Its subsequent disposal, however, is an important object of consideration,
5. Your Lordship will observe from our Chief Secretary's letter, dated the 4th of this
month, that we have moiified that part of the instructions to Major-General Sir William