File 600/1905 Pt 3 'Aden Hinterland: Situation; Withdrawal of Political Agent from Dthala; Treaties with Haushabi, Kotaibi and Alawi chiefs' [‎174v] (344/508)

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, . this he certainly at first did to a remarkable degree,
his men participating . t_Ea the Jalila people and Akils of the Shairis,
I further sent two messeng ^ consequence of a continuance of the
reminding them m determined, and I saw that
fight. As however, the fig m 0 Became^ bein out forC0i wMe
Imi/ teheTbr^prise, had not time to rally his men from the districts,
the Amir, taKenj y i t tw0 ans thinking by this means Q
I asked earnestness. I then proceeded myself to the
to impress the Sh< . t-i„c Tia tohed a messenger to inform the Shairi
Tl 6 It ^J^aSt ^oSSTlralf an horn, if the people wem not
lead ?rf A t eexn rv of this term and 15 minutes' extra grace, the 0. 0.,
^mf request dropped a cannon shell, purposely, 100 yards to the east of
Jalibf andlhen after ten minutes’ interval, as matters got worse a shell was
Jahla, ana tnen : i ^ where the Sbairis’ leader had taken his stand.
TMs had an excellent effect and dispersed the fighters-the terrain being tens-
This had an ex ! rinff b;U8) the shairis taking up a position on one-
boulder hil ’’ while the Amiris were on the range between that and the cemetery
hUh The Shairis did most of the shooting, the Amins responding hut fitfully,
just to prevent a Shairi rush.
was
Mv messenger returning from the Shairi le ft' ‘ ^smeTsage
Dthala and if 1 chose to fire on J^, it was God s w.ll. ,^n message
I received before we commenced tiring,
put down to the west of Jalila and
The village was now practically deserted.
After an interval another shell was
another to the south and short of the
village.
As the fitting continued, the Shairis having worked round towards the
norttneast of Dthala, I had, at intervals, six shells
two into the town itself. Jbe effect was exeunt and for^ time^fig t^g
withdrawi^^t'the s^ame^ime'theTmiri^soldierJ on Ihe “Hogs hack" were
replaced by British troops.
The Amir begged me to interfere still more, for he was apprehensive
for the safety of Dthala town. His men, too, lacked ammunition. I
he should send for reinforcements, and if the Shairis were too strong for hu ,
would afford the requisite co-operation: that he was hound to dls ? J
capabilities in accordance with the treaty obligations, °^ r , ^ tion
day being more to signify Government’s displeasure and their determination
to‘support the Amir who was not the aggressor m the fight.
I was extremely averse to parficipate, as I feared a complete set -^k to
the work of twenty months of attempted reconciliation, hut my action
absolutely imperative.
The effect on the Shairis was magical. The people returned that evening,
and in convocation sent me word that they did not wis o P r0 ° n § _ ^
were friends of Government, and did not believe their action would have proved
so distasteful to me (sic).
Yesterday I visited Jalila with Major Koe and convened all theSbairi
Akils. I also visited the town and was shown the spots where the two shells
hurst. No damage was done to life or property. ^ f rom
myself have even improved and doubtless, from what I hay ’ yesterday
conversation with Siiairis and others m my walks m the Sham c JJ tliese
and to day, I am convinced that this and this alone will tenc from
assaults in future improbable. To threaten punishment an esteem
my threat would have weakened the hold I have over these peop f i ras tic
me, and not the Amir, as their father and counsellor To have omitted so drastic
a threat would have spelt chronic disturbance and our arrival shoitly a
impasse.
Another prime factor impelling me to resort extraction and
Wednesday was that the lately murdered Sham was of „ £
the village had appealed to Sheikh Ah Mohsm, “the pillar-breaker,
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