"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٠‎٢] (١٧٨٢/٢٤٥)

102
1759
for the purpose of buying off an attack. While Muhammaxi Vali Khan's
intentions remained undeclared, the ketch " Viper " was detained at Bandar
'Abbas, in addition to the ordinary guard vessel, for the protection of the
British' Factory ; and her detention was subsequently approved by the
Presidency authorities.
About the middle of January 1759 Muhammad Vali Khan, who had
now been appointed Sardar of Garmsir in supersession of Nasir Khan,
advanced to Minab, and in fifteen days he entirely ruined the place,
his conduct being still that of a freebooter rather than of a Governor.
The Dutch Factory was finally withdrawn from Bandar 'Abbas at this
juncture. A couple of months later Muhammad Vali Khan approached
Bandar 'Abbas, and the Linguist of the British Agency, who was sent
to wait upon him, was " received very genteely and presented with a Coat
of Honour". Muhammad Vali Khan then publicly announced his inten
tion of reducing Lar and informed Mulla 'Ali Shah that, after bar
was taken, he would remove him from the government of Bandar 'Abbas,
but that wily character, who " seemed regardless of the continent in
" time of troubles, but generally returned as soon as they were blown over,
" behaving with the greatest arrogance," appeared less concerned at the
threats of Karim Khan's official than at the refusal of the British Agent
to lend him lis. 4,000. In April an unpleasant incident occurred, due
to the town having been deserted by its respectable inhabitants. The
door, timber, etc., of some of the Agency servants'' houses having been
carried off by robbers, complaint was made to the Persian Deputy -Governor
or Naib of Bandar ""Abbas, who denied that the culprits could be his
subjects and offered to punish them if produced. Some Arabs were accord
ingly arrested by the Agency employes; but, while they were being con
ducted to the Naib, they drew their swords, wounded several men, and
escaped; and no redress could be obtained for this outrage, as it proved to
have been committed by dependants of the Qasimi Shaikh who at the time
were nominally engaged in cruising, in alliance with Arabs of Charak,
against Mir Mahanna, the piratical chief of Rig. In June Muhammad Vali
Khan was in the neighbourhood of Lar, where Karim Khan had ordered
him to remain.
Capture and ^^ober of the following year the British Factory at Bandar
destruotiou of 'Abbas was suddenly attacked, captured, and destroyed by a French fleet;
ractoi-y'at^b ^ ie w boie circumstances of the affair are minutely described in the
Baudar interesting despatches below, which have been taken from the original
fhe^rencl rec0 ^s of the Bombay Presidency*
October-
November
1769.
* Tlie liberty has been taken of amending the punctuation, etc., to a slight extent.