File 3208/1908 Pt 4 ‘Persian Gulf: acts of piracy by Ahmed bin Selman near Katif [Turkish discourtesy to commander of HMS “Lapwing” at Katif]’ [‎129r] (253/358)

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No. 398, dated Bushire, the 20th (received 28th) August 1905.
From—MAJOR P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., Offg. Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
To—S. M. Fraser, Esq., C.I.E., Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign
Department. ,
With reference to the correspondence ending with my letter No. 365 of 2nd
August I have the honour to forward, for the information of the Government of
India copy of a letter No. 261, dated the 10th August 1905, with enclosure
from 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. ,"Bahrein, on the subject of a further piracy committed
by the pirate Ahmed bin Selman and his Bedouin/ associates.
No. 261, dated Bahrein, the 10th August 1905.
From— Captain F. B. Prideaux, 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. , Bahrein,
To—The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
In continuation of correspondence ending with my letter No. 243, dated the
22nd July 1905, on the subject of the pirate Ahmed bin Selman and his Bedouin
associates I have the honour to enclose for your information a copy of a^ state
ment recorded in my office relating to a fresh case of piracy committed this time
from a ‘ Shuei’ or two-masted boat most commonly used by the pearl-divers.
2. As no information has reached Bahrein concerning the loss of such a
boat, I am sending copies of Nakhoda Abdal Latif bin Habib s statement to the
Kaim-makam of Katif and to Sheikh Ahmed bin Thani of Bida.
Statement of Abdal Latif bin Habib, Nakhoda of the boat of Abdallah bin Alwan,
of Katif and Bahrein, recorded on the Jth August 1905 .
Nine days ago we left Katif. We were six men and one woman, and had in
our boat 200 packages of dates consigned to the name of Ahmed bin Selman,
a merchant of Bahrein, also Rs. 162 cash, Rs. 43 of which were sent by Abdal
lah bin Faras for the same Ahmed bin Selman. The day we left Katif we met
on our way near Kaskus a ‘ Shuei ’ boat which had the appearance of a pearl
ing boat and in which were some ten or twelve Bedus. But to our surprise the)
fired at us, pulled round the sail of their boat and sailed fast towards us.
When they got sufficiently close they again opened fire hitting a boy some
twelve years old, son of Isa Almukhnar of Dalebia, with the result that he ro le
down into the sea.
Then they jumped into our boat, and wounded two of our company with
their daggers, my son Jasim, receiving two wounds in the face and in the hand
and Ali A 1 Hasavi 5 wounds.
Afterwards the pirates put 3 of their men in our boat and the rest sailed
back. We went on for two days till we reached a bay. I do not know the name
of this bay. Never before had I seen the place. We anchored near the sea
shore.
Here the three men landed and took with them all our cash and the packages
of dates besides our sail-cloth worth Rs. 100 and cooking utensils and coffee-pots
worth Rs. 20 and clothes of the value of Rs. 25, also the clothes of th e woman
with us. They let us go after giving us all sorts of worries and troubles. Inc
names of those three mfn are Ali, Jabr and Jabir, and all the way they were using
insulting expressions towards us saying that some men of ^
jail in Katif, that they would chase any boat they saw, and that they were the
followers of Ahmed bin Selman the pirate.
We saw a small jolly boat in that bay. We left there 3 days ago, directing
our course to the north aided by the Polar star : on the morning of the 6th ins
tant we reached Budeya, and on the same afternoon Manama.
G. C Press, Simla. —No. C 450 F* D.—ag- 8 - 05 .— 00 .—R. S- W.