"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [ظ‎‎٥‎١] (٦١٦/١٠٧)

I
ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL
On this occasion they killed a boy, wounded two men, and stole about
Es. 1,000 worth of property.
In September, some 8 Beni Hajir Bedouin who had been visiting the
Chief of Bahrain for their customary presents, made free with a boat which
they found at Hamala on the west coast of Bahrain, and went off in her to
the mainland, without taking any steps to ensure the return of the vessel.
In October, three Bedouin who were proceeding as passengers in a boat
from Doha (Katar) to Bahrain, suddenly fell upon and murdered —
/ — jt — another
passenger, robbed all the remaining persons on board and compelled the boat
men to divert their course direct to the Dthaharan mainland.
In December 1905, there is grave reason to suspect that a technical
piracy was committed on a Persian cargo-boat laden with wheat which had
been driven by bad weather aground on the north-west coast of Katar near
Abu Dhaluf. The villagers of this place are accused of having appropriated
the greater part of the cargo in the name of salvage money though they
allowed the boat to leave after a detention of about 15 days. The consider
ation of the case by Government has not yet been completed, but it is si^ni.
ficant that the incident seems absolutely parallel to one which occurred in
this village in February 1899, when no punishment was inflicted upon the
culprits.
The Political Agent made two short sailing trips of about 4 days' dura
tion each, in June and July, in search of the pirate, Ahmad bin Salman.
He was accompanied by about 50 armed retainers of the Chief of Bahrain,
and, though he failed to fall in with the pirates, his party was seen by them'
and his action is believed to have curbed to some extent the enterprise of the
outlaws.
In November, he paid a short visit, again in a sailing boat, to Katar, a
more detailed reference to which has been made ante.
In September, he paid a brief visit to Katif in His Majesty's Ship Sphinx
and interviewed the Kaimmakam, Nejib Bey, in company with Commander
Bowman, E..N.
At the end of January 1906 he proceeded, again in His Majesty's Ship
Sphinxt to Abu Dhaluf, near the north-west corner of Katar, to enquire
into a charge of g'w^-piracy preferred against the villagers by the crew of a
Persian cargo-boat.
In February he made a short trip of inspection amongst the Phoonician
tumuli in Bahrain, for the purpose of selecting those to be opened on behalf
of the Indian ArchsQological Department.
In March, he went into camp for 9 days with the majority of his Infantry
Detachment at Sakhir, in the centre of Bahrain, for change of air and to be
near two of the sons of Sheikh Esa-bin-Ali, who invariably spent most of the
spring season at that place.
Major P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., paid one visit to Bahrain during the year under
review, in February 1906. He had twice come to the Islands in the cold wea
ther preceding the commencement of the year, and has again visited Bahrain
twice immediately after the close of the year.
Bahrain has received six visits from British men-of-war during the year.
His Majesty's Ship Sphinx spent some time here in July, September,
October and January, and His Majesty's Ship Lapwing a few days in April
and October.
In April 1905 Mr. G. Pilgrim, Deputy Superintendent of the Geological
Survey of India, revisited Bahrain to complete the inspection be had been
making of the Island in 1904.
On the 6th April 1905 a young Frenchman, named Gaston Perronne
arrived in Bahrain for the ostensible purpose of purchasing pearls. He did
not seem to be well provided with funds nor to have much expert knowledge
of the subject. It is believed that he combined this business with the work
of newspaper correspondent. He left Bahrain on the 30th July, having in the
interim spent one week at Linga.
Movements of
the Political
Agent.
Political
Besident's
Visits.
Navy.
Visits of O facial
and other
Europeans.