'Extracts from Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia by J G Lorimer CIE, Indian Civil Service' [‎10v] (25/180)

10
Capture
of the
" Shannon
and
" Trimmer.
1805.
Attack
on the
" Morning-
ton." 1805.
In 1805 two English trading brigs, the " Shannon Captain Babcock, and the
"Trimmer", Captain Cummings, both belonging to Mr. Manesty, the H.E.I.
Company's Resident at Basrah, were attacked by pirates in the neighbourhood
of Farur Island and taken after a slight resistance. The Indian members of the
crews were put to death; and Captain Babcock, having been seen to fire a musket
in the fray, was condemned to lose his arm, which was accordingly struck off with
a single blow of a sword. The European prisoners were then conveyed to the
Arabian coast, from which in course of time they succeeded in making their escape.
Subsequent enquiry showed that the " Shannon " had fallen to the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. of
Lingeh, while the " Trimmer " had passed into the possession of those of Ras-al-
Khaimah; and both were at once converted by the captors into vessels of war
and were regularly employed in piracy. Mr. Manesty, conceiving that the Wahhabi
Amir had power to order the release of his property, sent an agent to wait upon
him at his capital of Dara'iyah; but nothing resulted from this mission.
In the same year a fleet of 40 Qasimi vessels surrounded the H.E.I. Company 's
cruiser " Mornington ", of 22 guns, and tried to capture her, but the attack failed,
and the assailants had reason to regret the encounter.
First British expedition against the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. , 1805.
Policy of
the Bombay
Government.
Coercive
measures
adopted.
March 1805.
Blockade of
the Qasimi
fleet at
Qishm, July
1805.
Up to the point that we have now reached, the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. had
manifested towards the pirates a degree of forbearance which, in the light both
of earlier and of later events, it is difficult to understand. It appears to have been
a standing order of that Government that none of their vessels in the Gulf should
fire until they had been fired upon,—a rule which placed their small and isolated
cruisers at a dangerous disadvantage in dealing with an enemy whose favourite
method of attack was by boarding; and offenders against this regulation were
liable to heavy punishment. On one occasion Lieutenant Gowan of the " Fury,"
6 guns, having beaten off a number of boats which closed in upon him with hostile
intent during a calm, received on arrival at Bombay a severe reprimand from the
Governor in person for " daring to molest the innocent and unoffending Arabs of
these seas."*
In March 1805, however, at the suggestion apparently of Captain David Seton,
who had been sent to Masqat as Resident for the second time in consequence of
the death of Saiyid Sultan, Government determined to assist the ruler of Masqat
in chastising the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. ;t but the decision was hedged about by so many
conditions and qualifications as to render it almost impossible of execution.
Captain Seaton was to refrain from action altogether unless satisfied that the
Wahhabi Amir would not take offence at the coercive measures to be employed;
in his proceedings towards the pirates, even, he was " to act with the greatest
moderation " and " to aim at pacification by means of negotiation "; and he was
to avoid all possible complications with the Governments of Turkey and Persia.
A further difficulty was created by his being required to conduct his proceedings
in consonance with the ideas of Mr. Manesty, Resident at Basrah, and also with
those of Lieutenant Bruce, Resident at Bushehr. In the event Captain Seton,
who sailed from Masqat in the " Mornington" on the 28th of May 1805,
unfortunately allowed himself, before taking steps against the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. , to be
drawn into thinly-veiled co-operation with Saiyid Badar against the Ma'ini
possessors of Bandar 'Abbas,—a proceeding against which the Persian authorities
afterwards protested as an act of hostility against themselves; but before their
protest had time to take effect Captain Seton found an opportunity for a partial
reckoning with the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. .
On the 15th of June the Anglo-'Omani squadron, on a report that a Qasimi
fleet had arrived there, moved over to Qishm town; but the rumour proved to
be incorrect, and, as the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. were in too great force on shore to be attacked
by landing parties, the ships returned to their former station. At daybreak on
* These are the allegations of the journalist Buckingham, but they have been adopted by
Low, the historian of the Indian Navy. Some allowance must be made for the strongly anti-official
tendencies of Buckingham, who was subsequently deported from India because of his attacks
upon the Government of the day.
t There was chronic hostility, as we have seen, between the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. and Masqat; and at
this time it was specially incumbent on the ruler of Masqat to take steps for avenging the death
of his immediate predecessor, Saiyid Sultan, who had been slain by the Qawasim One of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates; also used to refer to a confederation of seafaring Arabs led by the Qāsimī tribe from Ras al Khaima. .