'Volume II. MEMORANDA REGARDING OTHER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. 1905.' [‎40v] (85/228)

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■Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. has reported
/.,0th August) that a further piracy has been
SLw b, »«. of „Ab T i«X‘
following, resulting m the death ° . ^
This was apparently an act of letaliatio
for the arrest of four of their comrades by
the Turkish officials of Katif. C . ox
is of opinion, after consultation with the Senior
Naval Officer, that it is impracticable to for
mulate plans for the pursuit of the Plates as
in the absence of a launch no aimed dhows
could be employed whether manned by Arabs
or by Arabs and blue jackets^ AJath regard to
the surrender of the slave, Salim-bm-Mubarak,
Maior Cox thought that Sheikh Nsa, who
had apparently acted through thoughtlessness
rather than deliberate intention, should be re
minded that it was contrary to his < treaty
engagements to correspond directly with the
Turks. In accordance with this suggestion, he
was directed to instruct 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. ,
Bahrein, to inform Sheikh Esa that in future
a strict compliance with the terms of his
treaties would be expected, and. that no indul
gence would be shown to any violation of these
engagements. On 27th September, Major Cox
telegraphed to say that Captain Prideaux had
been to Katif in the “ Sphinx ” when, after
a friendly interview with the new Kaimmakam,
the slave had been surrendered and had since
l\oon mnrmmitt,Pifl.
21. (Vide paragraph 20 of the Memoran
dum for December 1904.) In regard to the
blood-feud between Sheikh Esa and the Behaih
tribe, and the decision of His Majesty’s Gov
ernment to leave it to the Indian Government
to inform Sheikh Esa at a fitting opportunity
that he could exact reparation himself from
the Behaih, Major Cox on the 9th September
wrote to deprecate any such action by Govern
ment and to suggest that, if the Turks were
unable to inflict punishment on, or failed to
furnish compensation, we should ignore Turkish
claims to. authority in the Katar districts
and deal with the tribe ourselves.
22. {Vide paragraph 27 of the Memo
randum for March 1905.) It appears that the
Turkish authorities in the so-called “Nejd”
province have been unable to trace ’the
offenders in the piracy on two Bahrein boats
or to identify the locality of the incident.
23. On the 14th September, the Secre
tary of State was addressed by despatch, and
requested to obtain the approval of His
Majesty’s Government to a draft letter which
the Government of India propose to send to
Major Cox, in which they lay down approxi
mately the limits of the British protectorate
over Bahrein and define the principles which
should guide 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. at Bahrein
in his dealings with the Sheikh.