'Précis of correspondence regarding the affairs of the Persian Gulf, 1801-1853' [‎19r] (37/344)

Part I—Chap. VI. 17
Bombay for proceeding to the Gulf. The force was to consist of about 2,000
men, to be followed if necessary by 3 or 4 thousand more.
42. The following correspondence discloses the feelings of the Turkish
authorities on the project of the British occupation of Karrack:—
No. 27, dated Camp Mohumrah, the 19th February 1809.
From—C. P aslet , Esq., Acting for Brigadier-General Malcolm,
T 0 —jj, J3. Edmonstone , Esq., Secretary to Government in the Secret, Political and Foreign
Department, Fort William.
I had last the honour to address you on the 1st instant, and have now much satisfaction
in reporting to you, for the information of the Right Honourable the Governor-General in ^^ 2091-2095.'
Council, that the present despatch conveys to India otficial intelligence of the termination
of hostilities between Great Britain and the Porte. The definitive Treaty of Peace was
signed by Mr. Adair and the Turkish Plenipotentiary on the 5th of January.
0 2. A despatch from Brigadier-General Malcolm of the 30th December announces to
me the resolution of His Lordship in Council for taking possession of the Island of Carraek,
and for the formation there of a permanent British Establishment. I have now the honor
to enclose copy of my letter to General Malcolm in answer to that dispatch and of the
several communications which I have made on that subject in conformity to his instructions,
to the Resident at Bagdad and the Acting Resident at Bushire.
3. The Honourable Company^s Cruizer Fery has been for this last month past cruizing
between Bushire and Carrack with dispatches to the address of General^ Malcolm, fiom
Sir Harford Jones, having references I imagine to the operations which the General has been
directed to pursue in that quarter, but I have not received any communication from His
Excellency as to the nature of their contents.
4. By the enclosed copy of a despatch from the Resident at Bagdad in a,nswer to that
which I had the honour to forward you in my address No. "6, His Lordship in Council will
observe the sentiments of Mr. Rich concerning the light in which the Basha would be
inclined to view the arrival of General Malcolm in his territories. The peace which has since
been concluded between the two Empires must of course cause a considerable alteration in
the feelings and politics of His Highness ; but the opinion of Mr. Rich appears to be, that e\en
the occurrence of that event (which hns subsequently taken place) would not entirely remove
his fears and alarm on the occasion. I shall however suggest to Mr. Rich that if circumstances
should hereafter render it expedient for General Malcolm to debark nny patt of his force at
this place or at Bussorah, the expression of any doubts or jealousies on the part of His Highness
would in the present posture of affairs, appear to imply a degree of distrust in the
honour and public faith of the British Government altogether as unmeaning and unfounded
as it is injurious and indecorous, and 1 entertain little doubt but the representations of Mr. Kich
on this point (if it should prove necessary to make them) will be successful in reconciling Hia
Hin-hness to that arrangement should any change in affairs hereafter induce General Malco.m
to consider it advisable to suspend for a time the execution of His Lordship^ orders concerning
Carrack.
Dated Camp Mohumrah, the 9th February 1809.
From—C. P aslbt , Esq., Acting for Brigadier-General Malcolm,
To— Claudius James Rich , Esq., Resident at Bagdad.
In conformity with suggestions made to me by Mr. Manesty since his perusal of my
despatch to you of the 6th instant I again take up the pen. p 0 l]. p e p^ Diary
It appears to Mr. Manesty that no representation which can he made will have any No. 883 of 1809,
effect in disabusing the Basha of the idea that the proposed establishment at Karrack will pp.
be preiudicial to the commerce of Bussorah, if that subject is once touched upon. It may there
fore be as well in your eventual communications with His Highness to avoid as tar as possible
the introduction of that topic, and only to use the observations with which I have furnished
you on the subject in the event of your being questioned by His Highness as to that parti
cular point.
With regard to general outlines of the arrangement, your communications may be in
every other respect the same as those I before suggested j but in pursuance of my former ideas
on the subiect of withholding from the Basha all direct and explicit communications to as late
a period as possible, it may not be inadvisable, whenever the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. may interrogate you on tha
subject of our preparations at Bombay, to speak of them as the prelude to measures, the policy
of which is still under discussion, rather than to expose prematurely to his view that system
of arrano-ement which the Governor -General has determined to pursue. It is needless to aiid
that if General Malcolm actually have debarked at Karrack no further reserve will b e either
necessary or advisable, and that you will of course in such case carry your communications to
the full extent laid down in my preceding despatch, withholding however the commetc al
question as much as possiblle and enlarging principally on the necefsity of occupying Karrack
as a check on the politics of Persia and as a station by the possession of which ^e slv uul
enabled effectually to suppress all future piratical depredations in the Gulph.
1285 F.D.