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170
                                                          MfJSKAT.
                         of his allies, on whom he ehiefly depended for his
                                                                              supplies, and forced
                         to make a precipitate retreat.
                            12.  We hear nothing of the Arabs of Muskat ft
                                                                             0,11 1736 to 1769, at
                                                 the close of which latter
                            a. d. 1736 to 1/69.                           year a dispute occurred
                                                 between the Persians and Muskatees, in    conse-
                         quence of Kurecm Khan demanding from the latter
                         which had been   a long time in the hands of the Muskat Arabs, and the
                         arrears  of tribute they formerly paid to Nadir Shah,
                                                                                      With these
                         demands the Muskat Government refused
                                                                      to comply, alleging that the
                         ship was lawfully purchased from Shaikh Abdoolla of Ormus ; whilst
                         with respect to the claim to tribute, they replied that Nadir Shah
                                                                                              was
                         too powerful a tyrant to contend with,—it was therefore paid to him,
                         not as a matter of right but of policy : that Nadir Shah, however, and
                         Kureem Khan, were characters widely different,—the one they dreaded,
                         the other they rather despised ; the one was the conqueror of all Persia,
                         the other was merely a Vukeel of two or three of its provinces;—if, there­
                         fore, Kureem Khan thought proper to persist in his demand, they
                         threatened to answer it by force.
                           13.   At the commencement of the following year the Imaum’s fleet,
                                                 consisting of several ships and gallivats, made
                               A. D. 1/70.
                                                 its appearance in the Gulf, with five thousand
                         troops on board. It was intended to proceed to Bushire, to demand
                         satisfaction from the Persians for some losses the Muskatees had
                         suffered from them. The fleet having, however, dispersed, and not
                         re-assembling at the appointed rendezvous, returned to Muskat.
                           14. Plostilities continued to prevail between the Persians and the
                                                 Imaum of Muskat. Shaikh Nassir of Bushire,
                               a. d. 1774.
                                                 who had been appointed to command the Persian
                         gallivats, was authorised by Kureem Khan either to prosecute the     war
                         or to make peace with the Imaum, who showed a disposition to
                         accommodate matters, by surrendering some Persian property, which
                         he had detained at Muskat on his rupture with the Khan. The efforts
                         to negotiate a peace failed, as     the Imaum would not listen to the
                         conditions proposed by the Shaikh on   the part of Kureem Khan, which
                        were considered disgraceful. The Imaum professed         a  wish to be on
                        amicable terms with the Persians, but disdained to purchase          their
                        friendship by the payment of      an  annual tribute on any consideration
                                                                            time in alliance with
                        whatever.    The Muskat Government was at this
                            S“kh                                            *. i—-*"
                           15. On
                                                detached a fleet to   assist in its protection, n
                               a. d. 1775.       anchored at the entrance   of the river early m
                                                  having dispersed the Persian gallivats   , under
                        the month of August,
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