"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٦‎٧‎٣] (١٢٦٢/١٩٠)

1678
with local assistance, to move her towards the river by means of rollers,
but in vain. Lieutenant Selby then proceeded to lighten ship, by removing
all machinery and stores, and to dig a deep trench through which the
vessel might be floated back into the Shatait. His arrangements were
almost completed when a sudden and unseasonable rise of the river, after
endangering the machinery and stores landed which were saved not without
difficulty, released the " Assyria,^ fortunately undamaged, from her un
comfortable position.
Eeturning to Band-i-Qir, the " Assyria " entered the Gargar and ran
up it to within a mile of Shushtar. Her European sailors and marines freely
visited the town, where they conducted themselves with propriety and
were invariably well treated. At the departure of the vessel from Shush
tar some of the leading citizens of the place were taken on board for a trip,
and, on their landing to return home, were honoured with a salute from
the ships guns,—attentions by which they were greatly delighted.
Before returning to Muhammareh, the " Assyria " mounted the Diz
affluent of the Karun to a place some miles above Kut Bandar, and might
have advanced even nearer to Dizful town, had not prudence and a falling
river counselled a retreat.
In the course of these explorations, which lasted into April, lions, then
common in "Arabistan, were more than once sighted.
Lieutenant Selby also demonstrated the navigability of the Bahman-
shir by carrying one of his steamers from Muhammareh to the sea and
back via that channel; but whether this was done in 1841, or in the execu
tion of the Karun programme of 1842 > is not clear.
In December 1844 Shaikh Faris, the Shaikh of the Ka^ab tribe, caused a
Batil belonging to the Arab port of the Abu Dhabi to be seized at Muham
mareh, where she happened to call, together with her cargo worth about
£75. His excuse was a Ka^ab claim against the people of Abu Dhabi,
more than 30 years old, — one which, moreover, had been cancelled by
later events.
On the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi^s requesting that either satisfaction
should be obtained for him or he should be allowed to take forcible mea
sures himself, the British Eesident at Bushehr wrote to Shaikh Fans
advising him to give up the boat; but the Ka^ab chief merely replied
that he proposed to carry on hostilities against Abu Dhabi until his claim
Was satisfied. Major Hennell On this, in February 1845, sent his Assistant,
Captain Kemball to Muhammareh in the schooner " Emily but Far is,
though he was at a place only two days^ journey inland, did not come to
Muhammareh in the eleven day during which Captain Kemball waited
for him there, nor did he answer a letter which was delivered to him. The
Gargar.
Diz.
Bahmanshir,
Difficulties
wth Shaik
Far is of the
Ka'ab, aris
ing out of his
unwarranted
seizure of an
Abu Dhabi
vessel, 1844-
45.