'Volume II. MEMORANDA REGARDING OTHER EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. 1905.' [‎53r] (110/228)

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had purposely led them into an indefensible posi
tion, in order that their defeat might compel
the Sultan to act strongly against Ibn Saood.
Mirza Hamza sent the General Officer to Egypt
by mail via Bombay, ani despatched the others
to the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. commanding the forces at Basrah.
Three Turkish officers and seven soldiers are
reported to have passed through Koweit in
the last week of November, and to have told
Sheikh Mubarak that 1,200 soldiers had started
for Nejd, but that only 000, of whom very
few now remained, had reached that country.
19. Bahrein .—Captain Prideaux, Politi
cal Agent at Bahrein, accompanied by his
interpreter and an escort of one Naik and five
riflemen, left on 8th November in a sailing
boat for Lusel, Katr, to record the evidence
of Sheikh Jasim-bin-Thani, in accordance with
a Commission from the High Court of Bombay.
He spent three days in the camp of Sheikh
Jasim-bin-Thani at Bu Hasa and a day with
Sheikh Ahmed-bin-Thani at Bida.
20. Sheikh Esa has submitted a memorial
protesting against the interference of the
British Government in the internal administra
tion of the island. The memorial has been
referred to Major Cox for remarks. He
has also been asked to express his opinion
on the authorship of the memorial which
does not read as if it was the work of Sheikh
Esa alone. A copy of the same memorial
having been transmitted by the Sheikh to the
India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. through the firm of Kynoch,
Limited, the Secretary of State has desired to be
informed in due course of any action that may
be taken in the matter and has called for
remarks in connection with the fact that the
Sheikh has employed the Agent of a com
mercial firm for the purposes of a political
communication. The question is now under
reference to Major Cox.
21. The visit of the H. M. S. “ Sphinx”
to Katif, in the middle of September last, in
connection with the suppression of piracies
by Ahmed Selman’s gangs, has been made
the occasion of a protest by the Turkish
Ambassador. The India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. has explained to
the Eoreign Office that the visit was necessitated
by the recrudescence of acts of piracy in the
vicinity of Bahrein; that no objection to the
visit was raised by the Kaimmakam of Katif,
to whom due notice was given; and that the
officers made no “ explorations”, and did not
even walk through the town.
22. Miscellaneous.—[Vide paragraph 26
of Memorandum for November 1905.) On
the 6th December 1905, the Government of
India received from Major Grey a translation
of the concession granted by the Sultan of
Maskat to M. Hatinoglou of the Sponge
Exploration Syndicate. The concession appears