"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٨‎٧] (١٧٨٢/٢٣٠)

87
representatives at Bandar 'Abbas went on board ship to escape evil
consequences, reporting at the same time that Nadir would not be pacified
unless the British made amends for their previous unfriendly action at
Basrah by assisting him to take that place. On receiving* this
information the Presidency of Bombay endeavoured, but unsuccessfully,
to recall the " Queen Caroline/ J which had just sailed for Persia with
their Agent; they despatched the galley " Prince of Wales" and the
ships " Robert" and " Jenny " to the assistance of their staff at Bandar
A bbas ; they decided, with questionable good faith, to grant a passage
to a Persian Ambassador returning from India and then, if it should
appear advisable, to detain him as a hostage ; and, finally, they authorised
the sale, but only in an extremity, of one or two of their vessels to the
Persian Government. A little later, towards the end of 1735, "a
strange Kaqarn " was issued by Nadir, who was now expected to proclaim
himself Shah, to the effect that the British should be exempt from
customs duty to the extent of 1,000 Tumans a year or so much more as
Muhammad Taqi Khan, the governor of Pars, might think fit; but
Nadir still continued to urge the Company's representatives to supply
him with ships, and they were at last constrained to agree that, on
condition of a deposit of 8,000 Tumans in cash being made^ they would
procure him two vessels of 20 guns each. Meanwhile, on account of
insults and oppressions, the Factory at Isfahan was closed; but corre
spondence with Nadir and his local officials on the subject of a renewal of
privileges continued, and the prospect of a peace between the Persians
and the Turks gave ground for hope that the difficulties of the Agency
at Bandar ''Abbas would shortly come to an end.
After his accession to the throne of Persia, which took place early Relations
in 1786, Nadir Shah made peace with the Turks and began to show a d " r ' ng
. . . ^ reign of
very favourable disposition towards the English. Nadir Shah,
ti . j „ . . , . . . 1736-47.
Me remained hrm, however, m his determination to create a Persian
navy in the Gulf for general purposes ; and the Company's representa
tives were obliged to make good their promise of supplying two ships
on payment, an offer which they had not expected that the Shah would
accept. The vessels provided were the a Northumberland, which the
Persians—not being good judges in marine matters—readily took over
although she was in bad condition,* and the " Cowan/'' which was in
reality a fine ship. By the end of 1736 the Shah had apparently renewed
* Xhig appears to have been due to the fraudulent behaviour of a Captain Mylne
whose effects were ordered to be attached in case the Persians should raise any claim,
but they did not.