Supplement to the Gazette of India containing copies of correspondence relating to operations at Bahrain [‎2v] (4/10)

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during the afternoon, their boats joined us, and at midnight we landed, entered
the fort, and rendered it untenable; the boats were on this occasion in charge
of Commander Meara, Her Majesty's Ship Nymphe,
26. On the 29th we landed again with the boats in view to searching the
town premises of Shaik Nauser and to completing our work at ihc foit. I
regret to say that during this operation, Captain Douglas received a severe
shock while exploding a mine, and from which he is still suffering.
27. On the morning of the 30Lh we learnt the following important items
of intelligence:—
\stly, that Esau bin Alee, whom wc had invited over from Guttur,
had been seen cu-vouic at Zebairah, and that 30 craft had been
observed making for that point;
Indhj) that Nauser bin Mobarek had left the Huffah fort and taken
up a position at Jow, where he had seized some craft, in view
to intercepting Esau at sea, or to making good his own retreat in
case of need;
Srdly, that the head Chief Mahomed bin Abdullah was still on
the island of Moharrag prepared to be joined by Nauser bin
Mobarek, or to escape himself by sea if necessary.
28. It now became advisable forthwith to make a move which should
be calculated to meet all the above contingencies. Accordingly we took both
the gunboats with all the ship's boats in tow and marines and small aims-men
on board, and steamed round from the inner anchorage of Menameh to a point
to the southward of Moharrag Island.
29. We thus placed ourselves in a position—
Is/, to threaten Nauser bin Mobarek at Jow ;
2^f/, io aid—Eaftu with—his fleoi its passage from Zebairfth to
Moharrag Island; and
3r(7, to cut off sea communication between Nauser bin Mobarek
at Jow and Mahomed bin Abdullah at Moharrag.
30. The demonstration proved successful, and Nauser bin Mobarek, after
committing some further cruelties, embarked with his l^edouins and fled to the
Wahabec Coast.
31. On the following morning, 1st December, we again weighed anchor,
and still accompanied by all the boats pushed up the Moharrag creek to a point
a little way above the Moharrag Port, which we thus commanded at a distance
of 700 yards, while we commanded Mahomed bin Abdullah's fortified house
and the town of Moharrag generally within a distance of 1,000 yards. We
were further in a position for laying out the boats and so preventing Mahomed
bin Abdullah escaping by sea.
32. Wc then prepared to land on the spit already described, and isolate
the Moharrag Port, which wc proposed to occupy and afterwards to make over
to Esau bin Alee as a point of appui.
33. While preparing this operation, the pirate Chief Mahomed bin
Abdullah came on board in hope of arranging matters, and almost simultaneously
Esau's fleet hove in sight.
34. We then informed the pirate Chief of the general situation, and
called on him to elect between surrendering at discretion or proceeding at
once on shore to take his own course. lie surrendered, and his nephew Alee
bin Nauser and his secretary named Jassim declared to surrender also, since
they were committed to their Chief's cause. They sent on shore for their swords
and made them over to me.
35. Meantime the landing took place (the marines and small arms-men
under Commander Meara), and the garrison of the fort of Moharrag surrendered.