'Persian Gulf - Turkish jurisdiction along the Arabian coast (Part III)' [‎13v] (20/30)

established, recommended that the Turkish Go
vernment should he again pressed to cheek the
proceedings of the local authorities; and Lord ilart-
ino:ton's concurrence in this view was communi
cated to the Foreign Office,* where the matter had
already attracted Lord Granville's attention con
sequent on a naval report forwarded by the Admi-
Nothing more was heard of this specific project,
hut the reports furnished from time to time by
the British news agent at Bahrein indicated that
attempts were being made to extend Turkish in
fluence in the island. Accordingly, the Resident,
Colonel Boss, proceeded to Bahrein, and, on the
22nd December 1880, concluded the following
agreement with the Sheikh :—t
" I, Esau bin Ali A1 Khalifah, Chief of Bahrein,
hereby bind myself, my heirs, and successors in the
Government of Bahrein, to the British _ Govern
ment to abstain from entering into negotiations or
making treaties of any sort with any State or Go
vernment other than the British without the con
sent of the said British Government, and to refuse
permission to any other Government than the
British to establish diplomatic or consular agencies
or coaling depots in our territory unless with the
consent of the British Government.
" This engagement does not apply to or affect
the customary friendly correspondence with^ the
local authorities of neighbouring States on business
of minor importance.
" The above agreement is subject to the approval
and acceptance of His Excellency the Viceroy and
Governor General of India in Council."
In reporting his proceedings to the Government
of India (24th December 1880), Colonel Boss thus
explained the considerations by which he had been
actuated:—
" There has, as you are aware, been recently
some reason to suppose that the authorities of the
Turkish Government desired to obtain a certain
influence in Bahrein by establishing an agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. ,
which should at first and ostensibly be under the
form of a coal depot. It has been the settled policy
of the Government of India, in maintenance of the
political relations subsisting with Bahrein, to
exclude the interference of other foreign Powers in
the affairs of these islands, and the Chief of Bahrein
has been desired to avoid direct communication on
political matters with the Turkish Government,
and to decline to give permission for the establish
ment at Bahrein of a coal depot by that Power.
"2. It is further the case that the attention of
other Powers has been, to some extent, directed
to the trade, &c., of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Erench,
American, and Japanese vessels have been sent into
these waters on special missions by the respective
Governments, and other Powers have representatives
in the neighbourhood.
* To Foreign Office, 18th June 1880.
Home, No. 374.
f India, Political,
February 1881.
No. 19, dated 14tb