Page 392 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

14 ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL

- In tho month of January of the present year, the 8ultan, having deoided
to attempt to regain possession of his lost province, solicited tho assistance of
a British vessel of war with a view to enable him to carry out his design.
Government having agreed conditionally to this roqucst, the Political Resident,
together with His HighnesB Scyyid Mahomcd-bin-Turki and 8oyyid Hamed
bin-Nasir loft for Dhofar in the Indian Government vessel Lawrence.
H M 8 ’oossaok which had been placed at the disposal of Government for
the purpose also proceeded to Dhofar. Tho Sultan's troops numbering about
4J)0men advnnoed to Hafa inhabited by tho friendly Shanafaroh, and after
parleying with tho rebels for some days, 8eyyid Mahomod-bin-Turki, acting
unon the advice of Oolonol Wilson, aocepted the submission of the A1 Kathir
upon the termB offered, and the flags whioh tho rebels had hoisted were
hauled down, and various forts in their possession were handed over to the
Sultan’s troops. Seyyid Hamcd-bin-Nasir was loft as Governor temporarily
until Sheikh Suleiman-bin-Suwoilim, the Sultan's nominee, arrived. Without
recourse to absolute force the Sultan thus regained one of his outlying
provinces which had been in a state of rebellion for some eighteen months.
The proceeds of this tax, which His Highness imposed upon those tribes
r responsible for the losses incurred by
Pool live Tax on tbe Bobel tribe*.
British and other foreign subjects during
♦he rebellion in 1896, has not, for various causes, reached the estimate which
was originally formed. During the past year a sum of about $20 000, repre-
Renting 20 months’ collection, was paid to the Consulate for distribution
amongst the claimants.
With a view to obtaining better results tho contract for the collection of
theta-has been farmed out for a sum of S15.000 per annum, and it appears
therefore that a period of five years will be requisite since ite first imposition
for the proceeds of the tax to meet all claims.
■ The Political Resident visited Maskat in January in order to discuss
various questions with the Sultan, ile
General.
again visited Maskat in March upon the
occasion of the Dhofar expedition*
Owing to the prevalence of the plague in Bombay and Karachi, His High­
ness decided to impose a quarantine of nine days against these ports. Up to
the time of writing this measure has had the effect of keeping the disease out
of the country.
Maskat was visited during the year under report by Her Majesty's ships
Brisk, Lapwing, Sphinx, Redbreast and
■ TJ.
Cossack.
Foreign navies were represented by the French gunboat Surprise.
In the month of May, there being no vessel of war upon the station, the
Political Age°t hod to personally seize a
Slav* Trade.
slave vessel with 28 shires on board when
some little distance off Maskat. A few days afterwards* H. M. 8. Lapwing
arrived and within a few hours of her arrival was enabled to seize a slave vessel
with 14 slaves on board. Three days after the first capture, above noted, a
further capture of a vessel with two row-slaves was made by the 8ultan
at Jisser, upon information given to His Highness by the Consulate. In
September of the year under report, H. M. 8. Sphinx brought in two vessels
flying French colours, for the purpose of verification of their colours by the
French Consulate here. The right of the vessels to their oolours was. found to
be correct, but upon examination by the Frenoh authority, the vessels were
found to have about 175 slaves on board, and were accordingly detained.