'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎28v] (61/143)

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In December 1897, an outward bound sailing boat from Kach was
attacked and plundered between Mobammerah and Fao. Two of the crew
were killed.
In 1898, no piracies took place, thanks to the stationing in the Shatt-al-
’ Arab of a gunboat and of the special patrolling parties organised by the
Turkish and Persian authorities.
In 1899, though four cases of piracy took place in the Gulf none
occurred in the Shatt-aT’Arab, thanks to the efforts df Shaikh Khaz al and
the presence of a gunboat in the river.
In 1900, for the same reasons no case of piracy was reported from the
Shatt-ah’Arab. \
In January 1901 a Bahrain boat was attacked near Ma’amir on the
Turkish side. The pirates were not traced. Four cases of piracy occurred
on the bar of the Shatt-al-’Arab during the date season of this year. The
great difficulty of policing the bar which extends for some 15 miles beyond
Fao, and responsibility for which has not yet been assumed by the Persian
or Turkish Governments, has made it the happy hunting ground of pirates
who no longer venture to the extent they did of old to prosecute their ne
farious trade in the river itself.
On 8th April 1902, a Bahrain boat bound from Bahrain to Basrah in
ballast was attacked near the second buoy on the Shatt-al-’Arab by a party
of 16 Arabs who carried off R400 in cash and property. The matter was
represented to the Turkish authorities who arrested a few suspected persons
whom, however, the Nakhuda could not identify.
On the 27th May, a Kuwait boat was attacked off Bubian I, near the
entrance to the Shatt-al-’Arab by pirates who were believed to be in the
employ of Yusuf bin Ibrahim of Dorah (above Fao). Some of the pirates
were the residents of Dorah and Faddaghlyeh. Much property in cash
and kind was carried off and one of the crew was killed. The next day an
other Kuwait boat was attacked in the Hindijan creek, and 4,000 Krans
cash besides other property were carried off. Representations were made
to the Turkish and Persian authorities without result. Shaikh Mubarak
visited the Shaikh of Mohammerah in connection with these piracies with
what result is not known.
Early in September 1902, expedition was organised at Dorah by Yusuf
bin Ibrahim with the object of attacking Kuwait and getting rid of Mubarak.
The Commander of H. M. S. “ Lapwing ” having received news of the expedi
tion made a search for the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. . On 5th September two dhows containing
some 100 armed men were discovered in the Khor ’Abdallah and were as
certained to be the suspected dhows. Lieutenant Commander Armstrong
gave chase in four of the ship’s boats. The Arabs finding they could not
escape ran their dhows ashore on the Persian side of the entrance to the
Shatt-al-’Arab. The “ Lapwing’s ” boats which were in hot pursuit came
up and a fight ensued between the boats and the Arabs who had got ashore.
After a sharp fighting in which one blue-jacket was killed and two wounded
the Arabs fled, loosing it is believed 6 men killed and several wounded.
The dhows were captured and later on destroyed. Several of the men
belonging to the dhows were subsequently arrested whilst trying to cross the
river to the Turkish side and were detained in custody by the Shaikh of
Mohammerah. In consequence of representations made to the Turkish
authorities Yusuf bin Ibrahim was told to leave Dorah and did so. 1
On the night of 26th November, a Masqat ‘ baghala ’ owned by two
British subjects was pirated in the river while she was lying off Ma’amir on
the Turkish side. One of the crew was killed and the Nakhuda wounded
and cash value 400 dollars and other property carried off.
In February 1903, another Kuwait boat was attacked in the Khor Musa.
A passenger and four of the crew were killed and a large amount of cash and
property carried off.
Mt is generally believed he was secretly supported by the Turks: disappointed of them he joined Bin
Rashid and died in Hail about 1905.