'Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government' [‎402] (444/733)

402
UTTOOBEES.
An attempt on the part of his sons, who visited the Coast of Oman
with this object, to engage the assistance of Sultan bin Suggur, his son
Suggur, and Muktoom bin Butye of Debaye, in their father's cause,
having failed, these chiefs evading immediate, but holding out hopes of
eventual compliance (on the termination of the pearl fishery), provided
they were not forbidden by the British Government or the Wahabee
ruler, the ex-chief visited Bushire in person, for the purpose of obtain
ing the required sanction of the British authority to their joining his
cause.
It was reported that the chiefs in question, however much to all
appearance in earnest, only wanted some plea or excuse to rid them
selves of the importunities of the ex-chief, and abstain from any inter
ference whatever in his quarrel, from the knowledge, probably, that the
colleagues on the other hand were not idle in their endeavours to
arrange a counter alliance with the Beniyas and Amulgavine Shaikhs,
with a view to meet the impending emergency. A correspondence had
been opened by Esai bin Tarif with the former (Khaleefa bin Shakboot),
and the latter (Abdoolla bin Rashid) visited Kenn in person, and received
a valuable present.
Under these circumstances, the ex-chief was informed, in reply to his
application, that the British Government, although prepared to act the
part of mediator, without affording any guarantee, could not so far inter
fere as to reinstate him in his lost authority, nor could it permit of the
Shaikhs of Oman taking any part in a war in which they had no interest
or connection, as being bound by agreements with the British Govern
ment, and by a truce among themselves, guaranteed by it, to abstain
from hostilities of any kind on the seas, whereas the engagement of
their assistance by opposite and contending parties could not but lead
to confusion throughout the Gulf, and hostilities between the tribes
themselves, who, from being in the first instance allies, would very soon
become principals, and this too without any benefit accruing to himself.
It would appear that one Shaikh Sulman, the nephew of the Mujta-
hid of Bushire, a person having no legal authority, or situation under
the Government, had commenced a correspondence with Shaikh Ab
doolla, while that chief was yet blockaded in Demaum, holding out
to him hopes of assistance from Persia, in troops and guns, to retake
Bahrein. To this his visit to Bushire was doubtless mainly attributable,
not that he really believed the Persian Government had it in its power
to sanction and carry through the unauthorised proffer of Shaikh Sal
man, but that, anticipating non-compliance on the part of the British
authorities to the requests he had to make, he hoped to turn the
existence of such overtures to some advantage in urging his case, an
inducing acquiescence ; and accordingly intimated to them (Octobci