'Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government' [‎376] (418/733)

37G UTTOOBEES.
applied to on the subject by the Resident, he disavowed their proceed
ings, and stated they had left his territories, but that he would seize
them if they ever returned.
Nearly at the same time as the above occurrence, the ill-will so long
subsisting between the Uttoobee Shaikh and Rahmah bin Jaubir came to
an open rupture, in consequence of three men belonging to the latter
being put to death by the inhabitants of Bahrein, on a suspicion of their
having endeavoured to set fire to the town. In retaliation of this
proceeding, Rahmah seized a Bahrein boat, put one of the crew to
death, and threw two others overboard. The presence of the English
cruisers (stationed off Demaum for the protection of the trade of Kateef
from the aggressions of Shaikh Rahmah), however, prevented the two
chiefs from carrying on regular hostilities against each other, and as
they were not prepared for active warfare (Rahmah on account of the
smallness of his force, and the Uttoobee Shaikh owing to his apprehen
sions for the safety of his trading vessels then absent in India), they were
both well satisfied with the arrangement, and were proportionably
alarmed on the removal of our vessels of war, agreeably to the orders of
the Bombay Government. An attempt was made by both parties to have
a truce for some time proclaimed, but the British authority declined
interfering in any measures that did not tend to the re-establishment of
general tranquillity. Hostilities were accordingly carried on until the
end of 1826, when Shaikh Rahmah's Buggalow Large trading vessel. was attacked by a
Bahrein vessel of equal size. After a desperate action of some hours,
finding that he had no chance of success or escape. Bin Jaubir set fire to
his magazine, and blew up himself, vessel, and crew.
In the month of May 1827, a daring act of piracy was committed on
a Bushire Buteel oft" Gunowa, while on her way
to Bunder Dillum with passengers and treasure,
by an individual of the Monasir Tribe, named Obed or Abdoolla bin
Mohunnah, who had lately taken up his residence in Biddah, under the
protection of Abdoolla bin Ahmed, the Chief of Bahrein. Several of
the people on board the Buteel were put to death, and the remainder,
after being completely stripped, were landed on the Persian Coast near
Bordakhan. Every exertion was made to trace and seize the perpetra
tors of this outrage, as well as to recover the plundered property, but
with little success. The principal actors in it were ascertained to be
the individual above mentioned, and Hussein bin Jassim, a native of
Bahrein; and subsequently a small portion of the stolen goods was
found in that island, and restored to the owners. To our demands for
the seizure and surrender of the above two individuals, Shaikh
Abdoolla replied that it was not in his power to do so, as they had fled
from his territories,—which was really the case.