Page 285 - Arabian Gulf Intellegence

MUSK AT. 243

made with the Imaum of Muskat, and not with any of the Chiefs or
Shaikhs.
Political relations, in a written form, have existed between the
Honorable the East India Company and the Imaum of Muskat since
the year 1798, when a Treaty* or Kuolnamah was concluded on the 12th
October in that year, between the Honorable Company and His High-
ness thc Imaum of Muskat, through the intervention of the Nuwab
Etmandood Duola Mirza Mehdy Ali Khan Bahadoor Hushmunt Jung.
In the year 1800 a further Treaty was concluded between the Imaum
of Muskat and the East India Company, the late Sir John Malcolm
being Envoy. In this Treaty, which is dated the 18th January 1800,
it was agreed that the former Treaty or Kuolnamah of the 12th of
October 179S, between the Imaum of Muskat and the Honorable East
India Company, through the intervention of the Nuwab Etmandood
Duola Mirza Mehdy Ali Khan Bahadoor Hushmunt Jung, should remain
fixed and in full force, and further for the residence at Muskat of a
respectable English gentleman, as Agent from the British Government,
through whom ali matters between the two States should be truly and
fairly stated and represented.
On the 29th August 1822, a Treaty was proposed to the Imaum of
Muskat, for the prevention of the slave trade, by Captain Fairfax Moresby,
of His Britannic Majesty’s ship Mtnai, and on the 7th September 1822
His Highness the Imaum concluded the engagement for the prevention
of the slave trade from his dominions to all Christian countries, and the
following stipulations were agreed to:—
The Imaum to prohibit the sale of slaves to every or any Christian
nation, and to order his officers throughout his dominions, in case
they found the owners of any Arab vessels taking slaves for sale to
any Christian country, to seize such vessels, and to punish the com­
manders. The crews of all Arab vessels to be enjoined to report the
transport of slaves to Christian countries, in order that the commanders
of the vessels might be punished, and in default to be themselves
punished; also for the settlement at Zanzibar and other places of
British Agents, to watch and report the traffic in slaves with Christian
nations; permission to seize vessels laden with slaves, bound to
Christian countries ; certificates to be furnished to all vessels departing
on a voyage, stating from what port sailed, and to what port bound;
vessels found without this certificate to be seized.
On the 10th September 1822 His Highness the Imaum further
* A copy of this, and of all other treaties, with the exception of that connected with the
suppression of the slave trade, existing between the Honorable the East India Company and
His Highness the Imaum of Muskat, follow this narrative. The treaties connected with the
abolition of the slave trade are given in a subsequent portion of this Selection.—Editor.