Page 247 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

MUSK AT. 205

mcnt of tbcir internal affairs, and to the security of their persons and
possessions from foreign aggressions or treachery. The vessel of war
was very shortly withdrawn, its presence being required to give addi­
tional force in the demonstration against Ejman. His Highness the
Imaum did not, however, return to Muskat until the 10th September,
when he addressed the Resident upon the subject of the loss of his
towns of Dubba and Kliore Fukaun, proposing to leave the matter in
his hands; but was informed that British interference, under the cir­
cumstances, was not called for, and moreover advised, since his absence
from Muskat had been attended with so many disadvantages, to con­
sider the integrity and protection of his hereditary dominions para­
mount to every other object.
These serious occurrences, as above detailed, were attributable to the
imprudent policy adopted by the Imaum, in placing the government of
his Arabian possessions in the hands of three individuals whose views
and sentiments were notoriously at variance. The superior influence
enjoyed by the son and nephew of His Highness, from their position in
the capital, appears to have excited the jealousy of the Burka Chief,
who (it was asserted) had been led by the Imaum to believe that he
was to be looked up to as the head of the Government, during the
absence of His Highness on his expedition against Mombassa. The
youth of the parties, together with their want of judgment and experi­
ence, seemed to have laid them open to the intrigues of several
connexions of the Imaum’s family, who, to further some secret purposes
of their own, spared no pains to foment a misunderstanding among the
members of the Government. The consequence was, that a high degree
of irritation was excited, particularly in the mind of Saood bin Ali,
towards Mahomed bin Salim ; and although an apparent reconciliation
had been effected through the influence of the Imaum’s aunt, yet the
unadvised and imprudent visit made by his colleagues to Burka offered
too tempting an opportunity of gratifying both his revenge and ambition
to be neglected by the chief of that place, and the result was their
seizure and imprisonment, and an attempt to surprise the places belong­
ing to the Imaum in its immediate neighbourhood.
The demonstration made in the Imaum’s favour by the visit of the
British vessels of war to the Coast of Batinah, and their appear­
ance at Muskat, was undoubtedly attended with highly beneficial
consequences to the interests of His Highness. The liberation by
Saood bin Ali of his prisoners, for so trifling a consideration as S,000
dollars, was to be attributed solely to the apprehensions excited by his
knowledge that an application had been made for British interference.
The support thus afforded by the British Government interrupted various
intrigues carrying on against the authority of the Imaum, and inspired