"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٦‎٤‎٦] (١٧٨٢/٧٨٩)

Arrival at
Ras-al-Khai
mah, Uth
Novembar
1809.
Bom bard-
ment, ]2th
November.
Landing and
capture of
the town,
13th Nov
ember
046
an artillery officer, raont of her crew, and the main supply of heavy
ammunition for the force. Masqat was reached on the 24th of October,
and here the expedition was joined by Captain Pasley and other members
of Sir John Malcolm's third Mission, then on their wa\ to Persia; these
gentlemen " most handsomely volunteered their services," which were
accepted. Saiyid Sa'id, w r ho was in a despondent mood, seemed to regard
the smallness of the armament with some dismay in view of the task
assigned it ; and he did not, apparently, at this stage offer to co-operate.
I i'ots and small boats for landing were, however, obtained; and on
the 2nd November the expedition left Masqat. An offer made by the
Shaikh of Kuwait to join the British expedition with his whole naval
force and supply pilots for all the piratical strongholds was declined
by Captain Wainwright, who afterwards regretted his action in this
rebpect, tor the pilots obtained at Masqat were altogether useless.
1 he expedition arrived off Ras-al- K haimah on the afternoon of the
11th November; but the shallowness of the soundings made it necessary
for the ships to anchor at distances of 2 to 4 miles off the town,
according to their size. The captured "Minerva," a full-rigged ship
en which the Qawasim had mounted 20 guns, was starting from
Ras-al-K haimah on a cruise when the British squadron arrived ; but, on
sighting the armament, she put about and ran aground under a circular
to\ur about a mile to the south of the town. In this position she was
attacked by the smaller British vessels and taken; but a heavy fire from
the shore prevented her removal, and she was burned instead where ehe lay.
n the attempt to cut out the " Minerva," the cruiser " Prince of Wales "
went aground and suffered some damage by a fusillade from the land.
On t he 12th the town was bombarded during three hours by such of the
vesse s as from their size could approach near enough ; but the defenders
maintained an unshaken fire from small batteries and entrenchments
rown up a ong the beach, and little or no impression was made *
In the early morning of the 18th a demonstration was made again.t
the mouth o^the harbour at the north end of the town, under cover of
w lie 1 t e whole of the British infantry and some detachments of marineB
and native troops were landed at the opposite end, in water reaching to
their waists. The landing was disputed by a crowd of swordsmen, but
eir 1 us i was broken by a fire of case from gunboats, and they were then
driven back by a charge. By sunrise the wall across the peninsula on
e an ward side of tha town had been secured, along with its towers and
and (66th ^ ,he tomb.rdment w., noT. hear, on.
'hipping " ' r • C0 ' raais ■» , ' C • fOT t 1 " of locating the