"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٩‎٦] (١٧٨٢/٣٣٩)

}r, |"j'= ■
' " ii b,.
British
demand on
the Qawasim
for repara
tion, 1816.
196
neutrality. Saiyid Sa'id, disregarding an offer of British mediation,
soon afterwards made a descent on the island of Muharraq ; but he was
driven again to bis ships; with heavy loss. The feebleness of the Bahrain
principality, however, continued to invite aggression by its stronger
neighbours.
The serious Red Sea case, constituting as it did a warning of the
extent to which piracy might be expected to spread if it were allowed to
flourish unchecked in the Persian Gulf, led to an unconditional demand for
reparation being made on the Qasimi Shaikh, at the end of November
1816, under orders from the Government of India. The demand was
presented by the Resident in the Gulf, who took with him to Ras-al-
Khaimah one vessel of the Royal Navy and three of the East India
Company's marine, but it was rejected by the Shaikh with such obstinacy
and even insolence that the Resident was provoked, though no coercive
action was sanctioned by his instructions, to undertake an immediate
naval attack upon Ras-al-Khaimah. This enterprise, however, wh'.oh
was carried out on the Ist December 1816, resolved itself into a futile
long-range cannonade, and was abandoned without any advantage having
been obtained. Two vessels were then sent with demands for satisfaction
to the ports of Sharjah, Lingeh and Charak, where it is probable that they
met with no greater success than had attended the visit of the whole
squadron to Ras-al-Khaimah, The marauding fleet of Ras-al-Khaimah
alone consisted at this time of about 60 large vessels, and the piratical
ports of Sharjah, Rams, Lingeh and Charak boasted some 40 others of a
smaller size: of all these a great proportion were constantly at sea, and
they were frequently sighted by the British cruisers, which however were
seldom able to come up with them on account of their superior sailing
qualities.
The demonstration against Ras-al-Khaimah was not, perhaps,
altogether without effect: at any rate there was a diminution during
the next two years in the number of attacks committed by the Qawasim
upon British vessels. Towards the end of 1817, however, a Qasimi
fleet raided Shaikh Shu^aib Island, and threatened ^Asalu, Kangun, and
Daiyir in such a manner as to cause a serious panic at Bushehr; and
about the same time the Qawasim captured two native ships off "i Q )
oesides the " Mustapha," an Arab vessel under British colours and
command, at a point only 70 miles from Bombay. At the end of IB 18
the Last India Company's cruiser ^ Antelope" in a spirited action
fought with considerable risk to herself, saved the Sultan of Oman's ship
Rahmany and a Baghlah from capture by a group of Qasimi vessels