Page 466 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

56 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF
supplies with a view to hostilities against the offending tribe. On May 10th,
Scyyids Taimur and Nadir with a punitive force entered Nafah, the country
of the As Siabiyin. They destroyed the latter’s forts and returned to Bidbid.
The operations were finally closed by the surrender of threo Shaikhs of the
As Siabiyin, who were despatched to Maskat and confined in the fort by Hit
Highness the Sultan.
Maskat.—His Highness’ telephone lino was extended to Sib in February,
a distance of about 25 miles from Mutrah.
In March the local American Missionaries made arrangements for taking
a house in Mutrah and for opening a dispensary there without first obtain­
ing the sanction of His Highness the Sultan. His Highness was unfavour­
ably disposed towards the undertaking for administrative reasons , and desired
the American Consul to represent his objections to the United States Govern­
ment. The matter is still under discussion but, in the meanwhile, the Ameri­
can Missionaries are continuing their medical work.
On February 6th a public meeting was held by His Highness the Sultan
for the purpose of collecting subscriptions for the construction of a new
hospital. His Highness headed the subscription list with a donation of
HI 1,500 on behalf of himself, his brother and his family, and the local com­
munity, Europeans, Arabs and Indians, subscribed £23,000. A site was
provided free of cost by some Oman subjects resident in Zanzibar. The total
sum required was completed by donations of £20,000 from the Government
of India and £2.000 from the Admiralty. The work was commenced in
August and the foundation stone was laid on November 28th. At the moment
of writing, the building is well on its way towards completion.
Sur.—In February, His Highness the Sultan received intelligence that
a dhow named “ El Kadra ”, belonging to an Arab residing at Sur, had been
seized by Italians at Hafun on the coast of Italian Somaliland on the ground
that it was employed in smuggling arms from Maskat to the Somali Coast.
The Nakhoda of the dhow, by name LIobarak-bin-Khamis, arrived in Maskat
in March and stated that on his arrival at Eafun the Italians searched the
dhow but had found only one old rifle on board. They nevertheless confiscated
the dhow, despatched the passengers, 174 in number, to Mombassa in another
boat, and detained Moharak himself at Hafun for one month and eighteen
days. The Kakhoda also stated that when the Italian officer boarded the
dhow he seized and destroyed the Oman flag which she carried. The Nakhoda
was in possession of a license granted by His Highness the Sultan and
countersigned by the Political Agent of Maskat^ authorising him to carry
five rifles for protection. He had, however, ordered all the rifles to be landed
at Sur, before leaving Oman territory, and the single rifle found concealed on
board had been retained surreptitiously by one of the crew. Shortly after­
wards, information reached Maskat to the effect that the Italian authorities
had confiscated the flags of about thirty Maskat vessels at Hafun and had
captured a second dhow. His Highness the Sultan was -greatly annoyed at
the action of the Italian authorities and requested His Majesty’s Government
to assist him in securing reparation for the insult to his flag and comp ensa-
tion for the losses suffered by the Nakhoda. The matter is still under ai iscus-
sion between His Majesty’s Government and the Italian Government.
The management of His Highness*
Cnetom*.
Customs continued to be inefficient and
unsatisfactory.
His Highness is now deeply in debt and is often hard pressed to find
Boitan’6 Financoa. mon.ey for current expenses. The ex­
pedition against the As Siabiyin was
very costly and large sums have probably been spent for placating the tribes
of the interior.
The following table, compiled from Appendices I—IV to this report,
Am, Traffic. 6hows tne number of cases of arms and
ammunition imported into Maskat by