The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-05-19 00:00:00

Copy of a letter fenen Coolant T. P. Thompson, of the 17th
Light Dragoosig, to Francis Warden, E-q, Chief Secre-
tary to the Government of Bombay, dated Muscat, the
1811, of November, 18211.
SIR—I have to communicate the ill sneer's of the at,
tempt to co-operate with his Flightless the Immune of Muscat,
against the Arabs of the tribe of Beni Bet, Alt, after appear-
maces which led to expect a different melt.
In my last letter I stated that the messenger, sent with
the cominuoicstions directed by your letter of the Bth of
Jane, 1820, had been cut to pieces, and that six companies
of sepoye, with eight pieces of artillery had, ito coagequence,
been conveyed to Muscat.
The landing at Alashkarali, at this season of the year, as
described in the letter of Lieut.-colonel Collinson. of the
29th of September, already traesmiiti•d to Government, aria
confirmed by other accounts, appeared to be really imprac-
ticable. le addition to this, it has been stated by Licit.
Centeno', though not included is his letter above alluded •
to, that lie saw a force of 500 or 800 men collected be-
hind the good-hills, from which it was apparent that the
farce of I lie enemy would he nearly the same, whether it was
etirountored at Alashkarali or at their residence iu the in-
terior.
The landing at Soor was secure, and the road to the prin.
cipal residence of the tribe lay through a line of country in •
poeseasiou of the loomum, who had a town within three mikes
of the enemy, to which he had already been traesmiltiog his •
it:cinema°, for an attack. Under these circumstances, Ibe
chauces appeared to he more favourable for advancing
against the hostile force from Sour, bathed by the power of
the State of Muscat, than tor meeting the same force on the
beach at Alashkantli, under the disadvantage.' of a pre-retro- •
ous disembarkation, without the conjunction of the tra•unr,
and with exceedingly inferior results in the event of •ticeers.
The detachment sailed from Muscat on the 224 of October,
and arrived •1 floor on the 24th, whet eit was disembarked. •
The Amitura's form had previously proceeded towards Sour
by land.
On the 25th of October i•formation was received that the
Arabs bad abandoned awl set tire to Alaskkarah, together • .
with fourteen of their hoar, and heel retired to their print/. •
pal residency. The circa of the Itnaem'a vessels lauded, •
and bracelet off two boats awl three guns, and destroyed
such fortifications as were I,
His Highness the lomat), who Isnd directed his force to.
wards Stir, for the purpose of marching against the prim.
rival residence of the tribe, in conjunction with the British
• detaelintent, arrived there on the 26th, hi lacing with him
one thousand fighting men, beside,' Melt it. draw the gem,
six hundred Caritelefur the sister the detachment, and three
hundred other cattle.
On the Ist of November the whole force marched frogs
Soot, carrying with it two nix-pounders, two howitzers, road
two iron eighteen-poneoders. The rensaiatug two eighteeu-
poanders were left at Star.
After considerable difficulties in transporting the gate,
the farce entered the level Pruviuce of Jetties' on the sdalif
November.
On the 8111 of November the whole force arrived at a town •
belonging to log Highness, naiad Belled Beni lien Hassan,
within three miles of Baled Beni Boos Alt, the residence of _
the hostile tribe, without any loss, either by sicker./ ur or-
eillent.
The evening before arriving at Beni Bon Human, a report •
had been circulated that the enemy intended to °nark the
camp in the night. Oa arriving at Beni Bun Hempen wok
the Imautn. I directed the ramp to be pile bed in an eat-each-
eel position, comisting of a ditch flanked with tootle, which
included a space suffieient for a camp between it and the
town, and as the camp had been begun to be pitched in the
open plain before our arrival, I caused it to he removed.
A summons was the same evening conveyed to the enemy •
front his Highness, demanding the amenities. of the pet Mali •
who had killed the Sheik of Reseal Haild (the Messenger
mentioned in the farmer part of this letter), and of the Curti-
fications of the tribe, with their arms.
His Highness proposed that the summons should he sent
in the name of the Officer commasoLug the Bluish troops ;
but I represented to him that it was desirable to avoid the
appeartince of a double command, and that leis Higlanesg, •
as a Sovereign, must, of necessity, take the lead. At the
same time I communicated the subsisinee of some points
which I wee anxious to cams, to be s xpLaitoil on the Born-
Mona ; and he desired me to give them or WI itiug, and came-
ed them to be inserted,
What I was thug 11117tiotill to insert was an explanation of
the motives which load induced the appearauce of the British • troops in conjunction with awe sal his Highness. It badly
stated, that the causes of the war, on the part in the Imaum, •
were •Iready kapott. That 1114: canna of war, ow the pert
of the British, were the pirae.ta of the tribe by
oefilsal to simmer when remonstrated with, nod their having
killed the Messenger ; that the causes tau the tont of ills two
Powers were dialect and separate; but that, each having
cause, their fortes were united.
The me-reamer returned out the same night, and bronght
for answer from tie hostile Sheik., therctbe first me,se,,z,
had been killed without any orders from thentitelses, sod
that they wet e randy to give up the persons concerned: thee
they had no desire to be at war with the British: abet they
were willing to vuerender their fortification', but that they
could net garrotter their arms, because like lumens would,-
in that ease, give them topes prisoneis to the 13 • • 10.
Under these circumstances, I fell consides able expectatioss
that the terms I had demanded would be finally cartilag'
with. At the Same time it appeared that the Wily to wen.
mute this effect would not be by exhibiting any Moog like
an anxiety to come to terms. On his Highness, thee...fore,
asking my oration, I told him that I thought it would be
best to proceed, notions delay, before the place, with wlssell,
he entirely coincided, and directions were issued fir tostge-
ing on the following morning.
In conenrience with the opinion of his Ilighoeta, I direct, 4-',•.*
that the heavy gnus should be left its the enticached cseep„
whirh, fur tie present, was to be considered as the demist :
thst such slorell ouly ',load be taken lwrWard as the jipfere
at the heads of deptrtmeotestottlil judge neecssaty or re-
sent use; that the tents should be left shielding • to sem
trenched ramp, V`xeeption of inch ae mi 11* de-
sired by• the nailed Whaa.laneal•
and of a Ir.b.tr, sit
for the attillery ; Sod that Int.• at..1.)1.1 I.e awarned legarl •
with them the tools *Web they used fur cuti.ns woo& ' -
a In the Gulf of Persia.

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