'Précis of correspondence regarding the affairs of the Persian Gulf, 1801-1853' [‎77v] (154/344)

134
Part V-Ch&p. XYX.
eommitted without the permission of the
British Government. The Persian Govern
ment will not therefore be satisfied with his
continued residence in Persia, we therefore
request that you will write to the British
Minister in India to appoint another person
to the situation of Resident and to dismiss
Mr. Bruce from the employ, as his continued
residence in Persia will not be productive of
advantage to either State, and it is necessary
Mr. Bruce should restore the amount of the
loss he has occasioned to Persian subjects.
a British ship (Ahmed Shah), sometime in 1814
which was duly reported to Government. This
ship grounded near the island and might easily
have been got off and saved with the cargoes,
most of which belonged to the Honourable
Company, if assistance had been rendered from
the shore. On the contrary, the Shaikh seized
the vessel and property and after taking what
he pleased he set fire to the ship. A gentleman
was sent down from Bushire to remonstrate
with the Shaikh Abdulla-bin-Ahmed and suc
ceeded in recovering a small portion of the
property, consisting of treasure belonging to the
merchants of Bushire, and of a few, I believe,
mares belonging to Government. The seizure
of this vessel was reported to M. Morier,
His Majesty's Minister at Tehran, who promised
a firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). from the Shah on His Royal High
ness the Prince of Shuar to enforce restitution
from the Shaikh of Charak ; this firmaun like all
orders of this nature in Persia, which are not
specially enforced, was never attended to, al
though the subject was repeatedly urged from
the 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. , this port was also one of those
pointed out in Sir W. G. Keir's instructions to
be visited as they are now notoriously in league
with the pirates, and had been for some years.
His Majesty's Charge d'Affaires made
some observations in defence of Mr, Bruce,
but as he has acknowledged the destruction
of the Lingua and Charak boats, he will
certainly not disavow Mr. Bruce's mission
to Bahrein, and his mediating to effect the
views of the Shaik of Bahrein, the excul
pation of Mr. Bruce*'s conduct is that the
Lingua and Charak boats were destroyed by
the Captains of the British ships, according
to the representation of the Shuar Govern
ment. Mr. Bruce superintended the destruc
tion of these vessels ; if this duty was affected
by other as the officers from India were not
acquainted that the people of those ports
were subjects of His Persian Majesty, but
acted from the information which Mr. Bruce
gave them. He must repair the loss occa
sioned to Persian subjects.
His Britannic Majesty's Charge d'Affaires
has noticed his former statements relat
ing to this affair. True, but in this
manner " that the ships of the people of
Lingua and Charak in retaliation for the
offences committed and for their disobedience
to the orders of the Prince of Fars and their
connexion with the Joasmis will be des
troyed, the answer to this communication
was that the Arabs of these ports are the
subjects of Persia, and if they have officers
they are amenable to the Persian Govern
ment, the punishment of the Joasmis is
the province of the British, f the officers of the
Arabs of the Persian Coasts must be stated
to the Prince of Fars who will punish any
that have offended against British subjects.
His Majesty's Charge d'Affaires construed
the Firmaun addressed to the Officer Com
manding the Force and the mark of the
Prince's favour to Mr. Bruce to an approba
tion of the services of the expedition, yes,
the Officer Commanding before the trans-
actsons ascribed to Mr. Brace, in a letter to
Mr. Bruce as before stated never went on
any mission to Bahrein, excepting for the
purpose of destroying boats. The boats alluded
to were destroyed by 'the squadron under
command of Captain Loch of His Majesty's
Ship Eden. Mr. Bruce stated to what ports
the boats belonged, and the senior officer
considered it his duty to destroy them. The
Persian Minister appears particularly anxious
that restitution should be made to the subjects of
Persia for the trifling losses they would wish to
substantiate, but they never hint at restitution
to British subjects and the Honourable Com
pany for the very heavy losses which the inhabit
ants of the ports they wish to protect have
subjected them to. Applications on this head
were made to the Prince of Fars, as the corre
spondence from the 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. with His
Royal Highness and His Ministers will shew :
if His Royal Highness or his Suntam have
mislaid these communications, copies can be
furnished from the 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. records.
Mr. Bruce's present did not reach His Royal
Highness for a very considerable time after it
had been honoured with the Prince's mark of
favour, and it was in consequence of this mark
of attention on the part of His Royal Higbnes»
that Mr. Bruce made a present in return.