Page 14 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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In the ports and territory of Muscat itself this
predominance lias boon accentuated by the facts
that the trado of the British dominions with
Muscat amounts to about five-sixths of the entire
trado of the country; that the latter is almost
exclusively in the hands of Indian traders, who
are British subjects; that the commerce and
interests of any other country are relatively
insignificant; that the share of the trade enjoyed
by the three other Powers with whom Muscat
has direct Treaty relations, viz., America, Prance,
and Holland,* amounts, if added together, to less
than one-scventccnth of the entire trade of tho
country.
The relations of amity which havo been above
recorded culminated in 1891 in an Agreement
voluntarily entered into by Scyyid Feysnl-bin-
Turki, G.C.I.E., tho present Sultan, following
immediately upon tho conclusion of a new
Commercial Treaty between Great Britain and
Muscat, by which ho undertook never to cede,
to sell, to mortgage, or otherwise give for occu­
pation, save to tho British Government, tho
dominions of Muscat and Oman or any of their
dependencies.
In 1894 a French Vice-Consul was appointed
at Muscat, and this official made it his first aim
to alienate the sympathy of tho Sultan from
Great Britain. The action of Prance was believed
to be inspired to a large extent by Russia, who
was credited with designs of an aggressive naval
policy in the Gulf. It would he tedious to retail
the circumstances under which this action was
exerted. Suffice it to say that matters reached a
crisis in 1899, when it transpired that an Agree­
ment had been concluded with the French
Government, in March of the preceding year, for
tho lease of a coaling station at Bunder Gissch,a
place 5 miles south-east of Muscat.
Thi6 action was held to constitute a violation
of the Agreement of 1691 with Great Britain.
Owing to this and the breach of other Treaty
stipulations, and of personal assurances formally
entered into by the Sultan, a Memorandum was
presented to him on the 3rd February, 1899,
by the Government of India, which, after rc-
• The dutes of the respect ire Treaties are: United States
of America, 1833; Franco, 1844 ; Netherlands, 1877.
An Arrangement respecting trade jurisdiction, wrecks, &c.,
was concluded by tho Portuguese Governor-General of
Mozambique in February 1826.