‘Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1896-97 (Foreign Dept serial no. 92). Calcutta: Supt. Govt. Printing, 1897 & Appendices to the Administration Report on the Persian Gulf Political Residency and Maskat Political Agency for 1896-97’ [‎221r] (9/31)

RESIDENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. AND MASKA.T POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOR THE YEAR 1896-97.
3.—OMAN PIRATE COAST.
In July the murder of one of their tribesmen in Eejeyreh caused f?reat
resentment among the Kowasimis, and serious trouble was threatened. The
excitement was not appeased by the death of one of the offending tribe who
had been seized and confined, and the Sheikhs of Shargah, and Rasel Khymah
as Kowasimi Chiefs, led an expedition against Eejeyreh. The feud was finally
settled by the payment of blood-money to the relatives of the man who had
been killed.
About the same time a very calamitous fire occurred at Shargah; 400
houses were destroyed, and the loss in property was estimated at $30,000.
Fortunately only one life was lost. In November a severe storm caused the
wreck of many of the boats of the pearl divers, many of whom perished with
their boats.
Disastrous fires occurred also at Abu Thabi and Debai. In the first of
these, 170 houses were destroyed, but the loss and injury did not end here, for
the Beni Yas tribe took advantage of the occasion to plunder the property
which the owners contrived to rescue from the flames. At Debai the calamity
was of a terrible character, half of that town, together with the whole of
Dairah which adjoins it, were reported to have been completely wrecked, and
the loss thus caused was very heavy. Owing to failure of rain the date crop
around Shargah was very scanty.
In the middle of the cold season, the assemblage of a considerable force
by the Chief of Abu Thabi, with the alleged object of punishing the Beni Katb
and Awamir, caused grave anxiety on the coast and especially at Shargah,
where preparations for defence were made. The offending tribes had raided in
Abu Thabi territory and killed some of the people, and had then sought shelter
in the vicinity of the coast towns about Shargah. Resistance was not, however,
offered to the punitive expedition, and the Chief of the Beni Katb readily met
the overtures made by Sheikh Zaid of Abu Thabi, and secured peace by engag
ing to return the plundered property. These terms having been settled, Sheikh
Zaid warned the Beni Katb that the more distant Manasir tribe from Katr,
which in the preceding year had threatened the peace of their coast, had also
nrepared a punitive expedition against them. With this timely warning and
some material assistance from Shargah, the Beni Katb and Awamir were ena e
to meet their foes, who in spite of superior numbers were defeated witti some
loss in a sharp engagement which ensued. The Manasir were incensed agams
Sheikh Zaid, on account of the reverse thus inflicted on an expedition under
taken, as they alleged, at his instigation.
The balance of the fine noted in last year's report as having been imposed
on the Chief of Abu Thabi, in consequence of extensive slave importations
which had been allowed to be carried out at that place, was recovere on e
occasion of a visit by H. M. S. Sphinx to the coast in June.
It was reported that Sheikh Zaid had designs against the life of the
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent on the Pirate Coast, on account of the exposure by the Agent
of these slaving operations. The charge was denied, but independent e n q u " -1
gave it some colour, and the commander of the man -of-war was requested to
convey a suitable warning to the Sheikh.
In June hostilities were reported between the people o£ Shaam and Rams,
both tributarv to Ras-el-Khymah.
At the close of the year under report, the Sheikh of Ras -el-Khymah was
stated to be seriously ill.