"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٨‎٣‎٤] (١٧٨٢/٩٨٩)

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Maritime
disturbance,
1900.
Visits of
British
officers to
Qatar, 1899-
1903.
1905.
834
suggested by the Political Agent in Bahrain, that petty chiefe should 1,
reouired to come off or send a boat, without having been spemlly asked
to do so, to every British Government vessel arriving in their vicinity.
' Of a nou -piratioal nature, but otherwise worthy of mention, was a
collision which occurred off the coast of Qatar m 1900 between
the Al Bin-'Ali and the 'Aniamarah : these tribes, as related m the history
of Bahrain, had a blood-feud with one another of several years standing.
On the 16th of June 1900, five boats of 'Amamarah and two of Dawasxr
from Bahrain were driven by an adverse wind into the neighbourhood of
Wakrah, where a fleet of Al Bin-'Ali and other boats was engaged in
pearling '; and the Al Bin-'Ali, who were in greater strength than the
'Amamarah, finding their blood-enemies unexpectedly at hand, hoisted
their flags, as in honour bound, and made sail as if to attack. The
'Amamarah replied by a fusillade from their boats, and a serious encounter
might have ensued bnt for the intervention of a nephew of Shaikh
Jaeim, who persuaded the 'Amamarah to surrender their arms to
the Al Bin-'AU and enabled them to depart in safety. As it appeared,
from investigations held by the Assistant Political Officer in Bahrain,
that the Al Bin-'Ali were the aggressors * they were in the first place
fined Rs. 1,000 for breach of the maritime peace. Being required to
deliver up the 'Amamarah rifles, 20 in number, which had passed infco
their possession, they substituted some inferior weapons ; and for this
further offence an additional line of Rs. 500 was imposed qn^hem.
The fines were paid with a promptitude which showed the earectivenes's
of the means of compulsion held in reserve by the British Government,
— the sequestration, namely, of property owned by the Al Bin-" Ali in
Bahrain.
In 1899, as already mentioned, the] Resident, Colonel Meade, paid a visit
to Wakrah ; and in September 1903 Mr. Gaskin, the Assistant Political
Agent in Bahrain, touched at Lusail and at Wakrah and interviewed
Shaikhs Jasim and Ahmad separately.
In November 1905 Captain Prideanx, Political Agent in Bahrain,
crossed over to Qatar in a native boat and went to see Shaikh Jasim in
his camp at Bu Hasa, 'about 10 miles inland from Lusail: here he
remained for three days, transacting business with the Shaikh, and had an
interview with Nasir-bin-Mubarak, the Bahrain refugee and claimant.
On his return to the coast Captain Prideaux spent a day with Shaikh
* It may be mentioned, however, that the Al Bin'Ali hate never ceas;d to deny
the jnatioe of this decision ; tbey allege that they g,)t np sail to avoil the* Araa marah,
not to attaok them ; and they claim credit for not bavin? fi^ei back when fired upon.