Page 173 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

29
We desired therefore that negotiations on this basis should be attempted
through Her Majesty’s Minister at Tehran ; and we declared explicitly that
in no case could the Sultan be allowed to undertake hostile operations against
Persia.
125. On the 20th July 1868 Colonel Pclly despatched a telegram to
announce the renewal of the lease. The
Political A., October 1868, N01. 212-13.
circumstances in which this was effected
are detailed in the following letter of Colonel Pelly, dated loth August 1868,
No. 96:—

I have the honour to continue and conclude the subject of the lease of the Bandar =
Abbas districs to Maskat.
Vidt my letter No. 94, dated 26th July 1868.
2. On the evening of the 27th July, the Prince Governor General of Fars opened
conversation with me regarding the lease. I replied that since the Shah's Government
had declined British intervention, I could not discuss the subject officially, but that, since
the Sultan of Maskat had entrusted the guidance of the negotiation entirely to my hands,
I should be happy to communicate to His Royal Highness my thoughts on the matter in
an unofficial manner.
3. The Prince then said that the Shah had confided the disposal of the affair to him
and we agreed that a rental of 25,000 tomans a year for the lease of seven years, on the
otherwise terms of the old lease, would be fair. The Prince added that, if the Maskat
Minister should concur in this view, he would be glad for the Minister to call on him the
following morning.
4. Accordingly the Minister went the next morning to the Prince's Wuzeer, and,
accompanied by him, waited on the Prince, taking with him a written document confirm­
ing my terms of the previous evening ; and these terms were then agreed to : the Prince,
however, stipulating for a sum of three thousand tomans per annum on his own behalf,
and of one thousand tomans per annum on behalf of his Wuzeer, these additional demands
being, he considered, just in return for the great trouble and outlay he and his Wuzeer
had incurred in regard to the Bandar Abbas difficulty. The Prince further requested
the Maskat Minister to inform me of the arrangement thus made, and to beg me to submit
.
-
" Your messatie of twenty-oighth very satisfac- to the Viceroy that the question was thus dis-
,
tory, and the Viceroy thanks you for your success* posed 01. Un this assurance, confirmed by the
ful exertions." Prince’s Wuzeer, I forwarded my telegram of
the 28th July, and received from the Foreign Secretary a reply as per margin.
5. On the evening of the day following (29th), the Maskat Minister had another inter­
view with the Persian Wuzeer, and documents were drawn out in the above terms, the
one for the Shah's lease of 25,000 tomans, the second for the 4,000 tomans per annum
to be given to the Prince and his Minister. It was further arranged that, on the following
morning, the Maskat Minister should again wait on the Prince, when the articles of lease
would be sealed and exchanged.
6. The Maskat Minister went to the Prince accordingly, but it appeared that during
the previous night the latter had received an unexpected telegram from the Persian Gov­
ernment at Tehran, enjoining him to demand 30,000 tomans per annum for the Shah.
To this fresh demand the Maskat Minister declined to assent, and the negotiation was for
the moment in abeyance.
7. On the evening of the 31st July, the Prince Governor invited me to a garden,
where he again resumed the subject of the Bandar Abbas lease, explaining to me the
unexpected character of the fresh orders from Tehran, and assuring me that, under any
circumstances, I might rest confident he would support the message which he had request­
ed me to forward to the Viceroy,

8. While sitting with His Royal Highness, I received from Mr. Alison a telegram,
stating that the Persian Government wished me to persuade the Maskat Minister to
consent to the demand for 30,000. And I then suggested to His Royal Highness that if
he and his Minister should deem well to forego their local demands, I doubted not I should
be able to induce the Maskat Minister to consent to the full demand from Tehran ; and it
was arranged that I should communicate with the Maskat Miuister, and inform His Royal
Highness of the result.
9. On the following morning (1st August), accordingly, I received from the Maskat
Minister, and transmitted to the Prince's Wuzeer, a document consenting to pay the full
30,000 on condition that no other demand were made on him, whether at Shiraz or else-
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