'File 19/109 I (C 12) Bahrein Chief's relations with British Govt. and other Powers' [‎10v] (24/411)

is on the friendliest of terms with Sheikh Mahomed bin Ahmed, a brother of the
fugitive Sheikh Ali. It is possible therefore that this Sheikh may have been
acting as confidential medium between the Chief and the Frenchman. On the
other hand the intimacy may merely have originated from the general belief in
the antipathy existing between Germans and Frenchmen, which may have
prompted Sheikh Mahomed bin Ahmed to seek M. Perronne's sympathy for his
brother.
5. On all these points I hope to gain further information during the next few
days. It is difficult to believe that Sheikh Esa can entertain for a moment the
hope that he can with the help of any other Power effect the rupture of the ties
which bind him to us/but I am sure that his son Sheikh Hamad would use all
his influence and power to bring about such an end if he could. So long as the
Government of India were willing to act as a buffer between Bahrein and all
foreign Governments and at the same time to give the Chief and his family a
free hand in their acts of tyranny and misrule over the unfortunates whom they
had conquered little more than a century ago, the position was an ideal one from
the Khalifa's point of view.
6. At the present day the Treaty of 1820 is almost a dead letter. The
Trucial flag is never seen and slaves are bought and imported not only constantly
from Katar and Hasa but even occasionally, I am told, direct from Sur in
Oman. I have reason also to believe that the agreement of 1898 on the subject
of the Arms Traffic is similarly disregarded. These are the reasons why Sheikh
Esa dreads the proposed scheme for the reformation of his Customs, and at the
same time they should—I venture to say—stimulate us to insist upon the Sheikh's
complete submission to our will.
g. c. press, ?imla.—no. c253 f. d.— i4-6-o5'--67 ~ r« s. w.