ملف ٢٢٩٧/ ١٩١٩ "تقارير شهرية للمقيمية البريطانية في الخليج الفارسي. ١٩١٢-١٩٢٠." [ظ‎‎١‎٨] (١٠٤٤/٤١)

people did in their own houses, nor could he he responsible for the action of
foreigners who were not under his control. He then raised the question of the
camels and other loot, and said that if the Ikhwan were willing to withdraw
and leave everything they had taken behind them, he would not interfere
with them. Ibn Sulaiman maintained that the Ikhwan had a right to keep
what they had taken in battle, and said that he could not agree to leave it
without reference to Hawish but that he would refer the matter to him. He
then withdrew and went off towards Dawish’s tent, which was on the far side
of the village*
Shortly after this the Ikhwan withdrew without further fighting, but
taking everything with them. They marched for three hours that day, and
on the 12th October moved on to Subaihiyah.
The Koweit casualties were comparatively small and amounted to under
two hundred in all, of whom very few were actual inhabitants of Koweit.
^he Ikhwan On the other hand, who attacked in the open with the most
fanatical disregard for their own safety, lost enormously. It is estimated that
their killed alone amounted to eight hundred, while they are said to have had
more than that number severely wounded, of whom some four hundred died
before they reached Subaihiyah and about another hundred have died since.
On the 12th October H.M.S. “Espiegle” arrived from Basrah but as
it was then believed that the Ikhwan had withdrawn altogether, left again the
following day for Bushire.
On the 14th October Faisal ad-Dawish sent a letter to Shaikh Salim from
Subaihiyah, demanding that Hilal al-Mutairi, now one of the biggest merchants
in Koweit should be sent out to treat with him regarding a settlement of the
dispute. Shaikh Salim refused, and replied that if Faisal ad-Dawish wished
to discuss anything with him he should send in delegates to Koweit.
On the 17th October H.M.S. “ Espiegle ” returned to Koweit. On the
22nd R.I.MS. “Lawrence” and S.S. “Ivy” arrived. The former left for
Abadan on the 25th, and the “ Ivy ” left for Basrah, on the arrival of the
“ Alert ” on the 26th, returning to Koweit on the 30th.
On the 18th October envoys from Faisal ad-Dawish, headed by one
Jufran al-Faqm, arrived in Koweit, but from the first it was evident that their
terms were impossible of acceptance, being, in short, a demand that the whole
of Koweit should become Ikhwan. Shaikh Salim himself did not see them
until the morning of the 24th, when he dismissed them, also refusing a demand
which they put forward for supplies. The Political Agent was present at the
beginning of the interview and warned them that if they attempted to attack
the town of Koweit they would be regarded as guilty of hostility to the British
as well as to the Shaikh of Koweit, and that we would have no alternative but
to oppose such hostile action, pointing out that from the assurance recently
repeated by Ibn Saud, it was obvious that their hostile action was altogether
contrary to his wishes and orders. They replied that they had had definite
orders from Ibn Saud to operate against the Shaikh of Koweit. The envoys
returned to Subaihiyah the same day.
The Ikhwan are said to have received some five hundred reinforcements
since their arrival at Subaihiyah, and on the 22nd an aeroplane reconnaissance
estimated their camp at Subaihiyah as consisting of between two and three
hundred large white tents. There had been rumours that the Ikhwan’s
appeal for help was being responded to by tribes from Hasa who were said to
be moving northwards and that there was a considerable concentration in fhn
Sudah district. This was confirmed on the 28th by a few ’Ajman who came
in to Koweit from there. They said that a cousin of Ibn Saud, known as Abu
Dha’ar was in Sudah and was trying to induce the tribes to make common
came with the Ikhwan, but they were unwilling to do .so.
On the 27th Shaikh Salim’s representative, who had accompanied
Dawish’s envoys back to Subaihiyah, returned with a letter from him to
Shaikh Salim, to the effect that as he had failed to carry out the promises