"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٦‎٤‎٣] (١٢٦٢/١٦٠)

164S
have had hopes of active assistance from the tribe; and he even thought
it worth while to obtain an assurance from the British Agent tbat the
Ka'ab vessels ; if they came to take part in the defence of Basrah against
the Persians, should not be molested by the British squadron.
So far ; however, w T as the Ka^ab Shaikh from being at heart well
affected to the Turks that, on the arrival of a Turkish vessel^ the a Faiz
Islam/ ; at the mouth of the Shatt-al-^Arab, he despatched the whole of
his fleet, consisting of 14 Gallivats and 8 armed boats, to take her. The
Mutasallim of Basrah^ having received "notice of this movement, applied to
the British Agent for help; and the " Revenge ^ was immediately sent
to the spot. Arriving at the place on the 13th April 1774, she found the
"Faiz Islam" anchored outside the bar and the Ka'ab fleet inside it, in
which position they had been facing each other for three days; and, from
the circumstance that the Ka'ab Chiefs Vakil was withdrawn from
Basrah that very morning, it seems probable that, but for the opportune
appearance of the ^ Revenge,^ the ship would shortly have been attacked
by the Gallivats. The Ka'ab vanished at the sight o£ the British cruiser •
and the" Revenge <f and the a Faiz Islam, " in company, reached Basrah
safely on the 15th of April. The Ka^ab Shaikh then assumed a
threatening attitude, recalled his subjects from Basrah, whence they
withdrew on the evening of the 17th of April, and collected his fleet at
the mouth of the Karun; and it was suspected that, possibly at the
instigation of Karim Khan, he meditated a descent upon Basrah town,
or a night attack upon the British squadron stationed there ; but the
apparent crisis passed harmlessly over.
In January 1775, when fears of a Persian attack on Basrah had again
begun to be entertained, much alarm was caused there by the conduct of
the Ka'ab, who, in revenge for the execution by the Mutasallim of a robber
belonging' to their tribe, came up the river in small boats on several
nights in succession, entered the town in parties, and plundered private
houses, disappearing towards the morning with their booty. The Muta
sallim, to put a stop to these disorders, strengthened the town guard by
hiring Arabs from Zubair and compelling the citizens to take a share in
the duties of watch and ward; but the great extent of the town favoured
the intruders, who continued to pillage as before, several times beat off
armed parties sent to oppose them, and on one occasion attempted to set
fire to the bazaar.
Attempt by
the Ka'ab to
capture the
Turkish res-
sel " Faiz
Islam," 1774.
Kocturnal
raids by the
Ka'ab on
Basrah town,
January
1775. ^
• V - J w
On the 21st of March 1775, a few days before the siege of Basrah
by the Persians actually began, 14 Ka'ab Gallivats passed up the
to join the Persian camp near Qurnah and were attacked, as they went,
Proceedings
of the Ka'ab
river fleet at the
sieze of Bas-