"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٨‎٧‎٥] (١٧٨٢/١٠٣٠)

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Meanwhile the position of Shaikh 'Abdullah's sons at Bammam, Reduction of
the last remaining- foothold of the family in Arabia, had become pre- the^™
carious. In December 1848 the Wahhabi Amir offered his services to Wabhabis,
the contending; Shaikhs for the purpose of arranging a reconciliation i ' alc ^
between them ; but his overtures were rejected by the ex-chief. Faisal-
bin-Turki then declared war against Shaikh 'Abdullah and began to
collect troops, partly for an investment of Dammam by land to supple
ment blockade by sea, and partly for the punishment of some of
the Bedouin tribes in the neighbourhood who had hitherto kept the
Dammam garrison, commanded by Mubarak, Nasir, and another son of
Shaikh Abdullah, supplied with provisions. Two boats with commis
sariat and military stores for the defenders of Dammam, despatched by
Shaikh Jabir of Kuwait, were captured by the fleet of Shaikh Muhammad-
bin-Khalifah at Dohat Balbul, whence it had been intended to send the
cargoes by camel to Dammam • but the incident, which might otherwise
have led to a conflict between Shaikh Jabir and the de facto Shaikh of
Bahrain, was adjusted by the friendly intervention of the British author
ities. In March 1844 the garrison of Dammam, being reduced to great
straits for supplies, proposed a capitulation; but their terms were not
accepted by the Wahhabi Amir. Shaikh 'Abdullah, on becoming aware
of the critical position of affairs, crossed from Bushehr to the Arabian
side of the Gulf and attempted to throw supplies into Dammam, but
failed, the boat which he sent being captured by the blockading squadron.
A little later the Dammam garrison surrendered to the Wahhabis
on condition that their lives should be spared and that they should be
allowed to carry away their personal property, and the fort of Dammam
was occupied in the name of Faisal-bin-Turki, who thereafter showed
little interest in the quarrels of the A1 Khalifah Shaikhs. The result must
have been disappointing to Bashir-bm-Rahmah, to whom Shaikh Muham
mad had promised, as a reward for his services against Shaikh 'Abdullah,
the restoration of his paternal possessions.
During the absence of the ex-Shaikh at Bushehr, a Batil, described as M ar i t i me
belonging to Bahrain but owned apparently by Bashir-bin-Rahmah or one irregularity,
of his family, was unwarrantably seized on the Persian coast, and therefore
on the prohibited side of the Restrictive Line, by Shaikh 'Abdullah's
dependents at Naband. A remonstrance having been addressed by the
Resident to the ex-Shaikh, the latter wrote to the chief local authority at
Naband asking him to restore the Batil to the owners ; but, while this
message was in course of transmission by a British vessel, a change of
authorities took place at Naband, and the release of the Batil was refused
by the new governor. A lengthy correspondence ensued and redress
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