'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎113] (256/1782)

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On the 8th of June Mr. Wood received a letter from Baron Knip-
hausen, the head of the Dutch settlement on Kharag, warning him that
the chaetigement of the Mir had been resolved on by the Dutch and that
there might therefore be trouble at Rig very shortly. Upon this the
British Resident, who believed that a pro-Dutch party had been formed
m Rig under the leadership of Mir Mahanna with the express object of
murdering himself and of displacing Mir Husain, thought it prudent to
retire once more to Basrah. His justification of his conduct was that the
premises which he was building for the Company were not yet in a
e ensible state, and that the Factory An East India Company trading post. guard were not sufficiently armed ;
but he left a corporal behind with orders that the British flag should
continue to be flown during his absence. On his return to Rig, on the
0± Juiie ' he fomid «iat a revolution had occurred ; Mir Husain and
several others had been killed by Mir Mahanna, who was now in power,
the unfinished Factory An East India Company trading post. building had been almost levelled with the ground
and the British flag had been lowered, but no actual injury had been inflict
ed on the employes of the Company. He reported these occurrences to
the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. at Bandar 'Abbas, added that in his opinion no prospect of
success at Rig remained, and solicited orders; and in reply he received the
scathing letter which follows from his official superior :■—
trom Alex, Douglas to Fbancis Wood , Resident at Bunderick.*
On the 21st oame to hand your letter of the 29th ultimo, and it gim, me great
concern to tbat the tronble, at Bunderick prevented yonr t.kifg on shorf the
Consignment of Woolen Good, and Tin, Ship " Betoy " ; a,, from yonr former advices
H S tf m 3 "' ; Pla0e l " !i ° g 1,1 " State 0f an advantageous sale for
our Hon ble Masters might have been expected.
1 observe your greatest motnre for going to Bussorah was [on] the receipt of a
letter hom Mynheer Kniphausen. who no donbt (wishes) to engross the trade of Bun-
ick and Bushire to himself, wherefore our having a settlement at either of those
places can t be agreeable to him ; and as much you might expect he would fling all the
s acles in his power in your way to prevent it and give you frequent alarms, though
; 0 rea i SOn wha tever that should induce him to attempt your life, which you
s emed apprehensive of when you proceeded to Bussorah, nor do I perceive by your
fVnWU . / ny V10lenCe wascommitted ont be people you left behind; therefore I
Wnnk that, if your apprehensions had not been so great and that you had st.y'd at
Bundenck, communicating to Meer Hassain the advices which from time to time you
might get of the des.gns his Brother or (the) Dutch had against him. in all probability
ie mi£ f ,ave avoided the fatal stroke which happened to him, when our Hon'ble
J: r h l H r 6 iT\ d u aV ? T been ' ecure 5 be8ides 1 much doubt whether the Arabs
. ?la J e de£Qolls bed the House baa you been present, but, finding it was left in
cnarge ot only a corporal, they had the less restraint on them.
The want of arms for the military and Timber and stores for finishing the house
ought to have been no inducement for your leaving Bunderick, as you had indentes
Plight of the
Resident
from Rig
and murder
of Mir
Husain by
Mir Mahan*
na, June
1756.
• In this transcript punctuation, etc., have been slightly amended.