Political [‎52r] (103/154)

Z 5 *
7
amongst the armed men some of the Maadid, a tribe to which Jasim belongs,
who fired at the boats lying at Sila. Meantime one of the boats despatched by
Jasim and belonging to Khalifa returned to Katr and informed regarding the
presence of boats at Sila, and that they had seen tents pitched on shore and
a number of Arabs. The armed men in this boat were of the tribe of Soodan,
and as Jasim had no confidence in them, he put in it some more men of the
Maadid and despatched it again to Sila. When it arrived there, they saw
there a small boat engaged in pearlfishing, and in which there were only one
man and two boys. The men of Jasim seized that man, and said they W’ere
going to take him before Jasim. He refused to follow them, but was carried
away by force. He observed that he thought the sea was secure against ag
gression, and told them that the two boys would not be able to manage his
boat, but he was not listended to. They asked him about the boats that were
at Sila, and he told them that they were boats belonging to the people of Oman
which were pearlfishing as usual, but that they had taken to flight owing to
the firing of Bidaa boats, and that it is probable that some of the people in them
might have received a bullet shot. The man’s name is Abdullah-bin-Suweyeh
Mazroo’ai from Abu-Thabi. He had with him some pearls winch they took
aw r ay from him, promising to return to him the same. They then took him
before Jasim, who threatened him in such a w r ay that those present thought
he would be killed. But the object of this thereat was simply to obtain from
him information about Zaid. He said that Zaid had w ith him 2,000 troops,
and was marching against Katr; but as for himself, that he was a poor diver.
At the time of Ghanim’s departure from Bidaa, this man was there, and it was
said that he w'as going to be sent back to his boat if it happened to be at Sila,
or else that he w T ould be left in the island of Dalmah.
Muhammad-bin-Muhanah-al-Naimi sailed from Bahrain with a cargo
of dates for Abu-Thabi, and on his voyage passed by Al-Wakrah. Some people
from Bahrain advised Jasim that this boat contained arms for Zaid, so Jasim
stopped it, and it was only released through the intervention of the Naim-al-
Jabir. It w r as found that the boat had only two guns, wdiich belonged to the
boat itself.
No. 71, dated the 11th May 1889.
From—The Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent at Bahrain,
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. .
With reference to my letter No. 66, reporting the arrival of Shaikh Zaid
bin-Khalifa near, Ojeyr, and of his having encamped at Karah, I have the
honour to report the following account w'hich I have gathered regarding the
fight.
The section which is friendly to Jasira.
The number of killed were two men of the Monasir* tribe against whom
there was a blood-claim ; tw r o men of the
Beni Hajir ; a son of Salim-bin-Shafi, one
of the Shaikhs of the Beni Hajir, who w r as killed by mistake for Salim-bin-
Shafi, is a friend of Zaid, and there is a compact between them ; tw’o men of
the Al-Morrah tribe among those who were tending camels. The casualties
on Zaid’s side were two killed, and one of the Shaikhs of the Monasirf w ound-
ed on the palm of one of his hands. His
name is Jereyio.
f The section which is with Jasim.
Regarding the number of cadaels carried away by Zaid’s troops, the account
varies. Some say 800, and others more; and as no one has come this side from those
who took part in the engagement, I have been unable to ascertain the exact
amount of booty carried aw ay. The camels mostly belonged to the people of Katr,
and had been entrusted to the Al-Morrah for the purpose being tended ; some
to the Beni Hajir and some to the Monasir. Two mares belonging to one Seif-
al-Hajiri, a friend of Jasim-bin-Thani, were also carried away; and two more
whose feet were cut.