'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎426] (457/582)

426
HISTORY OF THE JOASSAMEE PIRATES.
occurred, to excite a suspicion of the growing pride and power of
the Joassamee pirates ; and some disputes had taken place be
tween their boats and the cruisers of the Bombay Marine The navy of the East India Company. , as to
the legality of their capturing Arab vessels under their convoy.
A case at length appeared, which left no further doubt of their
renewed hostile intentions, and of their desire of revenge having
kept pace with their growing strength. In 1815, their boats
began to infest the entrance to the Red Sea; and in 1816, their
numbers had so encreased on that coast, that a squadron of them,
commanded by one of their chiefs, called Ameer Ibrahim, cap
tured, within sight of Mocha, four vessels, bound from Surat to
that port, richly laden, navigating under the British flag, sailing
under British passports, and being subject to British laws. The
crews of these were massacred, according to their usual custom,
and only a few individuals escaped to tell their story.
Some months had indeed elapsed before the details of this
affair were accurately known ; but on their becoming so, a squa
dron was assembled at Bombay, consisting of his Majesty's sloop
Challenger, of eighteen guns, and the East India Company's
cruisers. Mercury, of fourteen guns, and Vestal, of twelve guns, to
sail to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . By these, a dispatch was forwarded to
Mr. Bruce, the Resident at Bushire, instructing him to remon
strate with, and to make certain demands from the chief at Ras-el-
Khyma. The squadron left Bombay in the early part of Septem
ber, and after a long and disastrous voyage, in which the Mercury
lost her mainmast at sea, the Challenger reached Bushire in No
vember, and the other vessels in a few days afterwards. In the
mean time, the Ariel, which had touched here on her way down
from Bussorah, had been dispatched to Ras-el-Khyma with a first
letter from Mr. Bruce, enquiring into the circumstances of the
capture alluded to, and reproaching them with a breach of faith
in their departure from the terms of the treaty made by them to
the British flag. The answer returned to this by the Ariel was,
first, a fiat denial of the capture of any vessels of any description