File 2297/1919 ‘Persian Gulf Residency Monthly Reports. 1912-20.’ [‎364r] (732/1044)

boats, but the majority were brought over on the 18th instant in the c< John-
O-Scott . When the party reached. Bahrain, Major Nuris Bey, who had arrived
from Basrah in the Putiala on the 9th mstant, took command and was very
anxious to resume hostilities, which the troops were unwilling to do. On the 16th
mstant, the John-O-Scott left for Katif with all the available troops, but
reached there too late to prevent its falling into the hands of Bin Baud ? s men.
The John-O-Scott returned to Bahrain on the 18th, and remained (except
for an interval of a few hours on the 29th instant) here until the end of the month,
when she was ready to leave for Basrah with the troops. (She eventually left
on 1 st June.) During this time, however, Colonel Abdul Jabbar Bey arrived from
Basrah on the 23rd instant, and took command, and an expedition under Nuris
Bey was sent to Ojair on 26th May. A tower, near Ojair, was captured on the
night of 27th May, but the majority of the soldiers took to the boats on seeing
some Arab reinforcements coming—leaving one officer and 60 men in the tower.
This party surrendered to Bin Baud, who arrived at Ojair in person the next day,
and having been disarmed were sent back to Bahrain on the 30th May. The
main party had arrived the day before.
476. Reference paragraph 355, Shaikh Isa’s messenger to Shaikh Mubarak Condition (
returned during the first week of May with a reply from the latter. It was Country -
stated that Shaikh Mubarak, while sympathising with Shaikh Isa, expressed
his inability to do anything in the matter as the robbers were not his men.
Shaikh Isa has, it appears, written back that Shaikh Mubarak should try his
utmost and get reparation for the Bahrainis, as would he do in case any of his
own subjects were attacked.
477. Katr .— Abdur Bahman bin Nakkadan, Chief of A1 Murrahs, residing
in Katr, arrived to receive his usual stipend from Shaikh Isa on 30th April 1913.
Shaikh Isa enjoined on him to co-operate with the Naim tribe to protect the lattsr
from Bedouin raids. Shaikh Isa has also asked the A1 Manasir to do the same.
He has promised them all to increase their stipend.
478. Turkish-Katr .— The Turkish soldiers at Katr, hearing of their men at Forei 8 n Inte^esfcs,
Hasa, Ojair and other quarters having been ousted by Bin Saud, were said to be pre
paring for retreat and selling their things. But, it is said, Shaikh Jasim is determined
not lo let them go and intends to provide them with necessaries in case they ran
short of provisions, etc., as he does not want to create ill-feeling between Turkey and
himself.
(h) During the third week news reached that Shaikh Jasim wept in a Majlis
of Arabs and expressed regret at the action of Bin Saud at a time when Turkey was
in a distressed condition. He preached loyalty to Turkey, and said he would never
turn the Turkish soldiers out.
(c) During the fourth w T eek of May, it was reported that Shaikh Jasim has sent
his son, Khalifah, and his cousin, Bin Ahmed, to congratulate Bin Saud on his
victories, as the old Shaikh does not at the same time like to make an open enemy of
Bin Saud.
479. A rather serious row took place outside Shaikh Hamad's bazar known as Miscellaneous,
the “Basri Bazar”, on Sunday afternoon, the 4th May 1913, between Busris and
Kurdis. Enquiries seemed to point to the Busris as the aggressors. As the absence
of the police was conspicuous, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. addressed Shaikh Isa on the sub
ject, pointing out that the affair had been aggravated by the absence of the Police,
and reminding him of his promise in 1905 that 50 police would be maintained in
Manama. Shaikh Isa replied that he always kept up 50 police, viz., 30 day police
under Amir and 20 night police (Naturs). These latter for the last year or two have
been under the Kazi, which is not conducive to good administration owing to divid
ed responsibility. Up-to-date, however, Shaikh Isa has turned a deaf ear to the
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. s suggestions that day and night police should be united under a new
and active Amir. The present arrangement leads to much more interference in exe
cutive matters by the Kazi than is either desirable or beneficial.
(h) Most of the Busris live in Shaikh Hamad's bazar and many of them are
bad characters. One of the results of this affair has been that Shaikh Hamad has
nominally dispensed with the services of Shaikh Ahmed as his Agent, and promised
that the latter will not encourage known bad characters to live in the bazar and will