Page 27 - PERSIAN 4 1899_1905

RESIDENCY AND mask AT POLITICAL AGF.NCT FOE THE YEAB 1899-1000. 19
and tlio Governor of Semail arranged peace between the two tribes before the
arrival of 8eyyid Badr bin Sc.if who had been deputed by the Sultan for that
purpose with a small armed force.
This district continued in disputed and divided possession of the two
Eo«uk. cousins, S yyids Hamood bin Azzan Keis
u • t> , , and Saeed bin Ibrahim Keis. The rival*
assisted by the 13cm Ruwanoh and the Yal Saad, respectively, tried to Bteal a
march on each other, but failed. On the 8th September, however, Sayyid Saeed
bin Ibrahim took peaceful possession of the fort of Awabee which the Beni
Ruwaheh evacuated on receiving 2,000 dollars from the Yal 8aad. The latter
tribe fearing that the fort might fall into the hands of the Sultan who was
believed to be negociating with the Beni Ruwaheh garrison for its surrender
advanced the money and secured the fort for Sayyid Ibrahim. The Sultan on
his part tried his utmost to wrest the district 'from the two competitors by
seizing the fort of Hazm which commands the roads to Rostak, and by taking
peaceful possession of Rostak fort; his attempts, however, failed as by some
mean9 or other His Highness's plans reached the ears of the owners of the forts
and put them on their guard in good time. Moreover, the garrison of Rostak,
which had previously arranged to surrender the fort to His Highness on pay­
ment of a considerable sum of money, changed their mind and declined to do
so when His Highness's men appeared on the scene.
This district continued under the administration of Wali Suleiman bin
Suweilim who was accused of practising
Sohar.
oppression and extortion upon the com­
munity entrusted to his charge, and fears were entertained that the Soor
incident would be repeated and that the ryots would take the law into their
own hands and rise against the Walt The Sultan strongly reprimanded the
Wali, and intimated to him that unless he adopted measures of justice and a
more conciliatory attitude towards the public he would he recalled. This had
the desired effect, as no complaint came from Sohar to the Sultan.
On 16th December Sayyid Seif bin Bedr was appointed Wali of Soor.
This once high and important office is only
Soor.
a name now. The Jenebeh emboldened
by the successful rebellion they waged last year defy the authority of the Wali
who represents the Local Government at Soor, and at one time even assumed a
disloyal attitude towards the Sultan.
Early in April the Naib Wali reported that the Bedouins of the interior
contemplated an attack against him, and
Dbofar.
asked for re-enforcements from Maskak
Private letters received in the town confirmed the seriousness of the situation.
The Bedouins twice looted the supplies sent to an inland fort by the Wali, the
latter therefore, while sending provisions for the third time, planned an ambus*
cade and succeeded in killing nine Bedouins when they attacked the convoy.
This caused the Bedouins to rise en masse against the W aii, but the Sheikhs of
Merhat and the well-disposed inhabitants of Dbofar with Shaikh Salim bin
Hamed al-llahrooni who was released last year at the instance of this Agency
from imprisonment in Maskat sided with the Naib Wall and supported his
action in punishing the evil doers as he had done. The Bedouins in consequence
retired, and nothing further occurred to disturb the peace of Dhofar.

GENERAL.
On the 21st April during the festival of the “ Bockree-Eed a Wababee
whilst dancing in the town fired his Martini-Henry rifle in the promiscuous
aDd careless manner usual among the members of his sect and accidentally shot
aad killed a Seedi belonging to H. M. S. Bedbreast and wounded two other
persons with the same builet, an Arab and a Seedi, subjects of the Sultan.
■The Sultan at once expressed his regret at the sad occurrence and graciously
complied with the representations made by the Commander of Beabreatt
mr compensation to the deoeased’s widow. A similar accident took place at
*>mail on the same day when another Wababee shot a comrade by aoeident in
fcbe same way.
Bt