47
ugattui anum
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authorities.
The whole of Captain Hennell's proceedings were confirmed, and his zeal Policy ofand energy were highly applauded, by the Governor-General of India; but the the Indianproject of extending British protection to Baraimi, indicated in the Resident's
* Government.letter to Sa'ad-bin-Mutlaq, was negatived, along with certain other of his proposalsfor more active measures against the Egyptians and their supporters in EasternArabia. The Government of India considered that the larger question of Egyptianencroachments was one for the British Cabinet; and it is probable, moreover,that the anxieties of the first war in Afghānistān had by this time begun to cramptheir policy in other directions; but the Resident was authorised to pursue, and,even to extend, the policy of distributing ammunition, etc., for use against theEgyptians.
The local results of Captain Hennell's visit were not entirely satisfactory; for, Furtherthough the Egyptian agent now took his departure for 'Ogair, the Shaikh of Abu action of theDhabi, in violation of the spirit of his freshly-formed obligations and in the interest
* British-as was supposed-of Sa'ad-bin-Mutlaq, proceeded in person against the Na'im 1839-40.of Baraimi; but the Na'īm, though disappointed in this emergency of the help ofthe Shaikh of Shārjah, stood firm and even repulsed the attacks of Khalīfah-binShakhbūt with such vigour as to make him desirous of peace for the sake of hisBedouin supporters. At this juncture the Resident intervened and required theShaikh to make such reparation as should be satisfactory to the Na'īm withinthree months, on pain of being considered an enemy to the British Government andof rendering himself liable for the payment of a lump sum of $1,000 as compensation to the Na'īm; and eventually Shaikh Khalīfah was able to produce aletter from the Na'īm Shaikhs certifying that their claims had been satisfied andamity restored.
In January 1840 Captain Hennell revisited the coast of Trucial 'Omān and British supheld a meeting at 'Ajmān with the Shaikhs of Baraimi, whose position he was port extended
to theanxious to strengthen; the principal figure among the Shaikhs was Hamūd-bin
Shaikhs ofSarūs of the Shawāmis division of the Na’īm, the holders of the Baraimi forts. BaraimiThe Resident was able to effect a defensive alliance against all enemies between Januarythe Na'īm and the Dhawāhir inhabiting the Oasis, whose mutual hostility had 1840.hitherto been a source of weakness; but his efforts to reconcile the Na'im withtheir neighbours the Bani Qitab were not equally successful. A judiciousdistribution of rice, money and ammunition, which next took place, was designedto illustrate the advantages of the British connection and was so regulated as tomake it clear that the favours of Government would be reserved for its sinceresupporters.
On the conclusion of these proceedings Captain A. Hamerton, an officer of Captainthe Khārag Field Force who was soon after selected to be Political Agent at Hamerton'sMasqat, travelled from Shārjah to Baraimi under the protection of Hamūd-bin- urney to
Baraimi,Sarūr, regaining the coast at Sohār in Bātinah. He found the defences of Baraimi January andto consist of a main fort on the south side of the place, built of sun-dried bricks Februaryand about 60 paces square, and of a smaller one, about 300 paces to the north- 1840.wards: Both of these were constructions of Mutlaq the Wahhābi. The Shaikhsof Shārjah and Dibai did their utmost, by means of intrigues, to prevent CaptainHamerton's journey.
On his return to Hasa, Sa'ad-bin-Mutlaq seems to have incurred the distrust Withdrawalof his employers and to have been sent by them under surveillance to Riyādh; of thebut not long afterwards the Egyptian occupation came to an end, and in May 1840
Egyptians
o an end, and m May 1040 from Najd,the Egyptian troops were in full retreat from Najd.
May 1840.The Egyptians at their withdrawal had installed Khālid as ruler of Najd, and Suspectedreports soon became current that the new Amīr cherished designs upon the 'Omān. designs of theSa'ad-bin-Mutlaq probably still maintained a correspondence with the Trucial Khalid, and
'AbdullahShaikhs; and in 1841 a letter addressed to him by the Shaikh of Shārjah fell into 1994the hands of the Na'im of Baraimi, who found that it related to a project for their on 'Omān.own destruction. In November 1841, the Amīr Khālid being then at Hofūf inHasa and his movements indicating an intention to proceed against 'Omān, theremonstrances of the British Government were conveyed to him through LieutenantJopp, who landed at 'Oqair and, after visiting the Amīr at his headquarters,returned to the coast at Qatīf. The Amir in his reply denied that he entertainedany designs on 'Omān; but his continuance in power after this event was so briefas to leave it uncertain whether his assurances had been sincere.
'Abdullah, the successor of Khālid, during his brief tenure of power, openeda correspondence with the Trucial Shaikhs, in which he announced his intentionof sending Sa'ad-bin-Mutlaq as his agent to Baraimi; but his letters, except that
