"دليل الخليج. الجزء الأول. المواد التاريخية والسياسية. ملخص عن التوسع التركي على السواحل العربية للخليج العربي وشؤون الأحساء والقطيف" [‎٥‎٦] (١٦٠/٦٨)

66
l near further that some of them, the fugitives, -will go to Busrah and Baghdad for mak
ing a complaint.
The Turkish vessel Arcadia, which was at Katif, is reported to have gone to Busrah.
Translation of news-report from Residency Agent, Bahreiny to Lieutenant-Colonel e. C.
Ross? Political Resident m the Persian Gulf, No* 23, dated 26th Bahi-al-Awal 1299=
15th February 1S82.
After compliments. —With reference to my letter No. 17 of 10th Rabi-al-Awal 1299=30th
January 188^, regarding fugitives from Katif, I bear from their elders that the balance of
revenue on account of date plantation now demanded from them by the Turks, is nearly
Rs. 1 ,70^000 ; this money is required from all the inhabitants of the villages of Katif and
is due on account of date plantations belonging to Turkish Government situated in the villages
within the limits of Katif. The circumstances are as follow :—The Kaim Makam of Katif
oroers the headman of the village to look after and water the Government trees, and the latter
orders another to do this work gratis, and gratis work brings on ruin to the trees year after
year; from ten trees there has remained one, and the trees are registered in the books
according to their former produce, viz., ten years ago. "When the time for estimating the
prednce arrives, the estimator comes and estimates ; if the produce be 1,000 killas dates, he
estimates at 2,500 ; at the time of giving them (the fugitives) the Government produce, if
the killa be worth a rupee in bazaar, they charge them 3 krans year after year, and the
balance has been accumulating from the time they took Katif till now.
As regards private date trees, as the owners bribe the estimators, matters are made easy
for them, and no balance remains to be paid by them on account of tax.
I hear the Mutessariff of El-Hasa, Said Pasha, has written them a letter in reply to
their complaint against the Kaim Makam ; it reached them a couple of days ago, and I hear
it is a rigid one. A part of it says that the Kaim Makam acted according to his (Mutes-
sarifTsj order in recovering the balance due to Government, and their departure to Bahrein
would not profit them ; it would cause the ruin of Government property ; if thpy had been
suffering from injustice, their corr,plaints would have been listened to by the Government and
so forth.
At present some of the aforesaid fugitives are in hesitation ; some wish to go to Bxisrah
and Baghdad to complain ; some fear the Mutass iriff might cause enmity ; whilst some say
it would better to go to El-Hasa and address the Mutassariff verbally. Nothinsr has been
settled } et.
Nazih Pasha (18^5-86). 210. In !NovGiiil)Gr 1885 S^id Pcislui was
Gulf Administration Report for 1885-86, TeliGVed of llis post of Turkish GoVGrDOr,
by Nazih Beg,
211. Nazih Pasha, the Mutassarif, was relieved in March 1886 by Saleh
saieh Pasha, (1886-87). JPasha. Dissensions had, during the past
Gulf Administration Report for 1.86-87. few yearS) bpen ri f e amongst ^ Ambs
residing under the jurisdiction of Sheikh Jasim of Bidaa, and bodies of seceders
first settled at loweyrat on the Katar Coast, where they were to some extent
under the protection of the Nairn tribe, who maintained intimate friendly rela
tions with the Chief of Bahrein.
212. In the year 1885 a body of the Wakra Arabs consisting of about 100
men of the tribe Al-bu-Ainain and Al-Jehran, owing to disputes with their
own chief and with Sheikh Jasim, left Wakra and settled at a place named
Ghareyah in Katar. A coalition had thus been formed to resist Sheikh Jasim,
and during the past year Mahomed-bin-Abdul Wahab, having quarrelled with
Jasim, identified himself with the opposing faction. A conference took place
between Jasim and Mahomed-bin-Abdul Wahab in presence of the commander
of a Turkish gun-boat at Bidaa, when the Turkish officer suggested that Jasim
should let the people of Ghareyah remain in peace under Mahomed-bin-Abdul
Wabab. Sheikh Jasim was much annoyed at the proposal and incited his
adherents to attack Ghareyah, but they were beaten off with the loss of a few
men of the Beni Hajir.
Mahomed-bin-Abdul Wahab entered on a course of intrigue with the
Turkish officials of Hasa, apparently with the object of ousting Sheikh Jasim and
obtaining for himself the post of Kaim Makam of Katar under the Turkish
Government. He was said to have advised the institution of a Turkish custom
house at Bidaa, a measure whicn seemed to have been favourably considered by
the Turkish officials, whilst the inhabitants warmly protested against it.