'Extracts from Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia by J G Lorimer CIE, Indian Civil Service' [‎23r] (50/180)

35
In 1833 the crew of a Qasimi boat touching at the Island of Khargu carried 1833.
away a portion of a tent belonging to the British Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , which had been
transferred to Khargu during the prevalence of plague at Bushehr; and, as the
marauders were well aware of the British ownership of the article stolen, the case
was treated as one of intentional insult, and a war vessel was sent in pursuit. The
thieves were found at Muhammareh and brought back with the stolen property
to Bushehr, but were afterwards released at The intercession of the Shaikh of
Bushehr.
In 1834 some members of the Sudan tribe who had recently removed from 1834.
'Ajman to Abu Dhabi attacked a Batil of the Matarish from Matrah and plundered
her of property worth $1,000; no loss of life, however, occurred. In this case
redress was withheld by the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi, until British vessels, prepared
to enforce it, appeared off his port. In this year the squadron in the Gulf consisted
of two cruisers only, the " Amherst " and the " Elphinstone."
The year 1835 was made remarkable by an expiring flicker of the old piratical Final out-
spirit, which this time flamed up, not among the subjects of the Qasimi Shaikh, break of
but in the formerly well-behaved and law-abiding tribe of the Bani Yas. The P irac y
outbreak may be attributed partly to a change of rulers at Abu Dhabi and to
dissensions among the Bani Yas; partly to the passions kindled by recent savage 1335.
wars between the Shaikhs of Sharjah and Ras-al-Khaimah; and partly to the
weakness of the British naval establishment in the Gulf. The Bani Yas pirates
placed themselves in the fair-way of the Gulf and began to prey upon passing
commerce without respecting any flag, even the British; their robberies were
accompanied by atrocities, such as the massacre of entire crews, that vied with
the worst offences in former days of 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 so infatuated were they
by their easy success against native trading vessels that one of their squadrons
put to sea with the avowed object of encountering the Company's cruisers. On
receiving news of this last challenge Commodore Elwon, commanding the Persian
Gulf squadron of the Indian Navy, immediately directed Captain Sawyer to
proceed with his vessel, the " Elphinstone " sloop-of-war, in search of the pirates
and to bring them to action. The " Elphinstone " carrying eighteen 32-pounders,
was much more powerful in relation to the Arab war-vessels than her predecessors
of 15 years before,—a fact which the pirates perhaps did not appreciate; but her
crew was comparatively small, numbering only about 150 men, of whom however
80 were Europeans. On the 16th of April the " Elphinstone " came up with the
pirate fleet, which appeared to consist of 3 Baghlahs, 1 Batil and 3 Baqarahs, the
largest Baghlahs having one of the others in tow: this last vessel proved eventually
to be the " Nasir " of Kangun, captured by the pirates off Kung four or five days
previously. After gaining a position to windward and double and treble shotting
his guns with round and grape, Captain Sawyer, unfettered by the necessity of
waiting till he was attacked, steered between the large Baghlah Large trading vessel. and her prize; and,
as the " Elphinstone " passed through with her guns almost touching the enemy's
sides, both broadsides were discharged with terrific effect, making the splinters fly
in every direction. The Arabs confined themselves to an attempt to board, which
had it been successful would have sealed the doom of the " Elphinstone," for the
large Baghlah Large trading vessel. alone contained at least 200 men; but it was frustrated by a
destructive fire of small arms. Seeing that the fortune of the day was against
them, the pirates at once made off, abandoning the " Nasir," from which a prize
crew of about 90 men leaped into the water and were picked up by the large
Baghlah Large trading vessel. . That vessel, accompanied by the Batll, was pursued by the
"Elphinstone" until nightfall, when she rounded Farur Island and disappeared;
and meanwhile the remainder of the pirate fleet, after stripping the " Nasir " as
far as they could, sailed away in another direction. Returning on the next day
to the scene of the encounter, the British cruiser took possession of the " Nasir "
and rescued nine of her original crew drifting on a raft, to which, fearing the
return of the pirates, they had committed themselves. Enquiry showed that 33
dead bodies of pirates had been thrown overboard from the " Nasir " alone while
some 25 wounded had been carried off by their friends; and the losses on the large
pirate Baghlah Large trading vessel. must have been even more considerable.
The settlement with the Bani Yas which followed this well-merited chastise- Piracies by
ment was satisfactory in the extreme. One brig, 7 Baghlahs, 2 Batils and
5 Baqarahs, which had been captured by the Bani Yas, were surrendered; the ^
greater part of the cargo taken from the " Durya Wowlut," a Baghlah Large trading vessel. under
British colours, was recovered; compensation for other property to the amount
of over $10,000 in cash and kind was obtained, a bond and security in the shape
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