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plunder her coast and not allow a Persian boat to put to sea. It seems strange that a
kingdom so circumstanced along her sole and only ocean sea-board should venture 10
exclude strangers, or lay claim to sovereignty over islands. The islands, it is true, may
in point of distance be nearer to the Persian than to the waskat coast; but channel islands
arc usually found to belong to a naval and not to a purely military power.
114. The Government of India’s instructions and observations on this are
contained in their letter No. 634, dated
Political A., June 1868, No. 150.
19th June 1868, to the Government of
Bombay:—
In reply to your letter No. 132, dated gth June, and with reference to previous
correspondence, I am directed to communicate to you the views of His Excellency the
Viceroy and Governor General in Council regarding the lease of Bandar Abbas.
2. Having regard to the terms of the 4th and 12th Articles of the Agreement concluded
in 1855 between the Persian and Maskat Governments as contained in the copy of
the original Persian Agreement forwarded with your letter No. 124, dated 31st
December 1864, His Excellency in Council is inclined to the opinion that the lease of
Bandar Abbas, etc., for 20 years was not limited to Saiyid Said and his sons, as stated
in Colonel Felly's translation, but included any Ruler directly descended from the loins
of the then Imam who might be on the throne of Maskat within the period of 20 years
for which the lease was given.
3. At the same time, with reference to the attitude now assumed towards each other
by His Majesty the Shah and the Sultan of Maskafc, His Excellency in Council is of opinion
that the present dispute should be adjusted with reference rather to what is equitable
and right, than to the mere terms arranged in /tfyy. His Excellency in Council considers
it highly desirable, both in the interests of the trade of the Pursian Gulf and on other
grounds, that the lease to Maskat should be renewed, and that the Resident in the
Persian Gulf should mediate between the contending parties on the terms that the Sultan
of Maskat should hold Bandar Ahbas on a reasonable payment.
4. Under no circumstances can His Excellency in Council countenance a resort to
hostilities by cither party, and should the Sultan of Maskat commit aggressions on any
of the Persian ports, the Resident should insist on the cessation of hostilities, pending a
settlement of the dispute by mediation, for which the British Government have already
tendered their good olHces. Meanwhile His Excellency in Council will await with interest
the report of Colonel Pelly’s interview with the representatives of the Persian and Maskat
Governments.
5. With reference to the views expressed by Colonel Pelly in paragraphs 11 to 13
of his letter of Qth May, His Excellency in Council cannot consider the stipulations in
our Treaty with Maskat of 1798 for the exclusion of the French and Dutch from
Gombroon and the establishment of an English factory there as affecting in any way
the rights of Persia', nor can His Excellency in Council approve of intervention on con-
ditions which do not recognize the Sovereign rights of Persia over the territories
embraced in the engagement of 1855. It is, therefore, immaterial whether in the new
lease the clause excluding strangers be maintained, as that clause would in no way effect
British subjects who have Treaty rights throughout the whole of the Persian dominions.
115. In the meanwhile the Government of Bombay had instructed Colonel
Pelly not to object to the blockade of
Political A., October 1868, Nos. 34-35.
Bandar Abbas by the Sultan of Maskat,
but to inform His Highness that, after the offer of mediation by the British
Government, such action could not but be regarded as unfriendly. The Gov­
ernment of India when apprized of this telegraphed to the Bombay Govern­
ment to issue more emphatic instructions to that officer to leave nothing undone
to prevent the threatened blockade, and to give the Sultan to understand that
the British Government would withdraw all countenance whatsoever lrom him
if he refused the proffered mediation.
116. On the 2nd August 1868, Colonel Pelly telegraphed to say that
Maskat had placed the negotiations entirely in his hands, and that an explicit
telegram had at length been received from the Shah, giving a general consent
to an amicable arrangement of the matter. He himself was moving up with
the Maskat Agent to meet the Persian Prince Governor of Fars at Shiraz, and
matters, he thought, would probably be satisfactorily arranged if the Persians
were reasonable in their demands.
117. From Colonel Pelly’s letter of a previous date, vis., 23rd May,
No. 63, it appeared that the Sultan was willing to come to reasonable terms,
though he denied that the terms of the lease of 1856 had lost their force, and