'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎328] (347/622)

328
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
loss was small, only a few men being wounded, # the Arabs
suffered heavily, and the bearer of the flag of truce from the
Sheikh, in true Bedouin phraseology, owned that 64 they had
eaten lead like hail." The 'Falkland' soon after sailed for
Bombay, where she arrived on the 15th of January, 1855, and,
a few months later, after a short further service in the Gulf,
Commander Hewett proceeded to England on medical certificate,
where he died on the 8th of December; in him the Indian Navy
lost one of its most gallant and distinguished members. Com
modore Robinson also returned to Bombay in the following
March, whence he proceeded to England, and retired after
thi^-one years' service. The Bombay Government, by order,
dated the 25th of June, 1855, in the handsomest terms
thanked Commodore Robinson, Commander Hewett, and
the officers and men engaged in the Expedition to El
Kateef.
Turning now to the Beni Yas Arabs, we find only two
important instances of the violation of the annually renewed
Maritime Truce. In the autumn of 1850, an act of piracy was
committed by some subjects of Sheikh Syeed bin Tahnoon,
who, in 1845, succeeded to the chiefship on the assassination of
Khalifa bin Shakhboot, the able and, for an Arab Sheikh,
honourable chief, who measured the strength of his squadron
against the 4 Elphinstone' in 1834. Upon this becoming
known, the Commodore despatched the Hon. Company's brigs,
'Tigris,' Lieutenant Manners, and 'Euphrates,' Lieutenant
Tronson, to Abu Thubi, to demand from the Sheikh the pay
ment of 600 dollars as " deah," or price of blood, for the two
Joasmis slain, together with the surrender of the captured
vessel with all her stores. Nothing could exceed the skill and
boldness displayed by these two officers, who took their vessels
through the intricate channel and shoals that guard the
entrance to the port, bringing them within effective range of
the strong fort of this large town, which, with its twenty
thousand inhabitants, was the most populous on the coast.
Sheikh Tahnoon and his people had hitherto considered that
their ships and habitations were safe from the visits of a
British man-of-war, and their astonishment at seeing the
'Tigris' and 'Euphrates' anchored off them, with ports open
and guns shotted, all ready to open fire, created an extra
ordinary impression. The Sheikh "caved in" to the demands
of Lieutenant Manners, and promised compliance, "without
hesitation or demur," says the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. . The boats and
stores were immediately surrendered, and the 600 dollars were
paid within a few weeks.
# There were many narrow escapes, one man receiving a ball through the top
of his hat, and another one in the loom of his oar between his hands whils
pulling, which, but for the oar, would have lodged in his body.