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and which,* I beg to suggest, may bo read in connection with this Report on account
of the bearing of many of tho remarks therein made on the subject of tho proposed
Electric Telegraph aloug the coast of Mekran. Syed Thowoyncc pretends, of course, that tho
Persian Government have no right to interfere with any concessions which ho may pleaso to
mako within tho limits of his farm, and he would be doubtless highly gratified to find that tho
British Government wero disposed to back his pretensions ; but with the Treaty before mo, I do
not see how wo could enter into any definito arrangement with IIis Highness regarding tho
establishment of tho liloctric Telegraph between Bunder Abbas and Sudrej without obtaining
tho prior couscut of the Shah of Persia, whoso sovereign rights over that territory are specially
reserved by tho terms of tho 6aid Treaty. On tho other hand, however, the distinct acknow­
ledgment by tho British Government of the sovereignty of Persia over those districts (which
would be necessarily involved in the application for any such concession from the Shall), might
be very undcsirablo. in a political point of view, and more especially so at the present time,
when tho Persians are actively engaged in aggressive movements on Mck ran and towards
Beluchistan. Not feeling competent to discuss this delicate question any further, 1 pass on
to a description of tho coast eastward of Sudrej.
4. The country from Sudrej to Jez, a distance of 150 miles, is within the jurisdiction of
Meor Abdullah bin Moorad Mahomed, described as a powerful Beloochi Chief and an efficient
ruler, preserving order and tranquillity among the tribes subject to his rule. He became
tributary to Persia about twelve years ago, and still professes to acknowledge the suzerainty of
tho Shah ; but? by all accounts Meer Abdullah would be glad of an opportunity to regain
his independence. My Beloochi informants assured me that he was quite capable of protect­
ing a lino of telegraph along the coast included within his jurisdiction, and they felt persuaded
that ho would willingly accede to any proposition from the British Government on the subject.
But here also tho 6ame question arises, how far he could do so on his own authority consistently
with his obligations to the Persian Government ? and again, how far it would be politic on
our part, or fair towards this Chief, to seek any concession from the Shah in a territory which
the Beloochi still regard as their own, though for the time wrongfully wrested from them by
the Persians? Further, there is reasonable ground to fear that any such recognition by us of
tho sovereign rights of Persia over those districts would lead the Native Chiefs to do all in
their power to frustrate the success of a scheme obtained, as they would judge, at the expense
of their national independence.
6. Close to Jez is Charbar, a small town on the coast, subject to the Sultan of
Muscat, whose jurisdiction extends over a wild rocky country to the vicinity of Gwettur.
Charbar was taken by Syed Sultan, grandfather of the present ruler of Muscat, about a
century ago, and has siuce remained in tho undisputed possession of his successors.
Unless interfered with by the aggressive designs of the Pcri-iaus, or of the Khan of Khelat,
Syed Thoweyner would have no difficulty in securing a line of telegraph through this
district.
6. The small town of Gwettur belongs to one Deen Mahomed, a petty independent
Chief of a neighbouring tribe of the Zidgal; and from Gwettur to Jewnee the coast is
subject to Lalla Midyan, a Beloochi Chief of the Sheikh Zada tribe, who resides at
Jewnee and who is also described as being independent. The couutry here about is very
barren, and tho people miserably poor. A small subsidy to these Chiefs would doubtless
suffice to engage them to protect the telegraph through their respective territories.
7. Next to Jewnee is the town of Gtcarler, or Gwadcl, owned by Syed Thoweyneo of
Muscat, and governed at present by his deputy, Seif bin Salem, of tho Alo-boo Saeedy
tribe of Arabs. The customs of the port are estimated at 4,000 dollars per aunum, and
are held at that rate by the Banyan, who farms all the Muscat Customs Dues. I perceive
that Major Green suggests in his letter, dated 27th March, to the Political Superintendent,
Upper Sind, that this plac« should bo purchased by us from the Sultan of Muscat, and
then made over to the Khan of Khelat, on the ground that the latter has valid claims to
its possession, and has more than once intended to seize it; moreover, that its possession
by Khelat would be advantageous to the Khan, and perhaps to ourselves also, as weU in
a political point of view, as more immediately in connection with tho suggested line of
Electrio Telegraph along the coast of Mekran.
8. I have made careful enquiry into the statement whereon, it is said, the present Khan
rest8 his claim to the town and port of Gwadcl, namely, that it was merely lent to Syed
Sultan, the Imaum of Muscat, about the middle of the last century, to enablo him to quell an
insurrection in some of his territories on the coast to the westward, after which it was to be
restored to its owner ; but that the then Khan dyiug, and the country falling into a state of
anarchy, the successors of Syed Sultan had taken advantage of those circumstances to retain
possession of Gwadel. The 6tory is a plausible one, but I believe it to be wholly without
foundation. I consider Syed Tuowey nee’s plea that it was conquered by his grandfather,
Syed Sultan, to be equally invalid. The most probable account of the manner in which
Gwadcl fell into the hands of Syed Sultan was given me by an old Beloochi Chief at Muscat,
whose relatives have been in the service of the Imaum for several generations, and wbo60
narrative of facts I found to correspond generally with tho native chronicles of those times.
He states that Syed Sultan, tho fifth but the bravest son of Imaum Ahmed, the first of tho
• See paragraph 7 of tbia Precis bolow.