"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٩‎٤] (١٧٨٢/٣٣٧)

194
Piratical
offences com-
n?itted by the
Qawasim,
X811-1816,
1813.
18U.
1815-1816.
the Qawasim appeared at Bushehr; and a preliminary agreement for tbe
discontinuance by the Qawasim of their attacks upon vessels under the
British flag 1 , ior the restitution by them of certain specific property, and
for their adoption of a distinguishing flag was executed ; but it remained
a dead letter.
In these circumstances, of unsuccessful action by the Sultan of
'Omau and practical inaction on ttc part of the British Govemment,
piratical offences by the Qawasirn recommenced and rapidly multiplied
The years 1810 and 1811 passed quietly, but in 1813 signs were
perceived of a revival of piracy.
In 1813 several large native vessels belonging to Basrah and Kangun
were attacked and robbed by Uawasim; some others owned by British
Indian subjects and flying the British flag met with similar treatment;
and others again remained confined to port in India, not venturing to
sail on account of the increasing danger at sea.
In 1S14- the a Ahmad Shah, ^ a native vessel under British colours,
was plundered while aground near Qais Island by the Shaikh of Charak,
and part of the booty was carried to Ras-al-Khaimah by Qawasim who
were probably concerned in the crime : this was the case which led to the
correspondence, in the same year, between the British Resident at
Bushehr and the AVahhabi and Qasimi chiefs. About the same time a
Persian vessel was captured between Masqat and Bandar ; Abbas. In
August 1814 some native craft under the British flag were taken by
Arab pirates at sea off Porbandar; and a boat which the Resident sent
with a communication in this case to the Qasimi Shaikh was actually,
notwithstanding the preliminary agreement very recently concluded by
the emissary of that chief at Bushehr, seized in the Ras -al-Khaimah
harbour and confiscated.
rbis last act was virtually a declaration of war, and we are conse
quently not surprised to observe that a great increase of maritime
offences affecting British vessels occurred in 1815 and 1816. Iu the
former year a ship belonging to the Sultan of ; Oman, and carrying
property of the Last India Company, was seized by the Qawasim at
Mughu with the assistance, or at least the knowledge, of the inhabitants
of that place ; half a dozen native Indian vessels were captured in Indian
waters , the Sultan of 'Oman's flag-ship " Caroline ,} was all but taken,
the Saiyid himself being wounded, in an encounter with a large Qasimi
fleet off Quryat ; and a British Indian vessel was overpowered near
Masqat, of which the crew were all either killed or kidnapped. In
uary 1816 the Last India Company's small armed vessel " Dei'i&h