Page 468 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN Gt'LK
58
Monsieur Charles Lccoutour held the post of French Consul from
January 1st till September 8th, when he was relieved by Monsieur A.
Jeannier.' M. Lccoutour, accompanied by his Dragoman Abdul Aziz, left
for Sur on May 4th, and returned on May 23rd.
Signor Umberto Omar, the Italian Agent referred to in last year’s report,
arrived in Maskat on March 4th for the purpose of collecting information
regarding the trade in arms between Maskat and Italian Somaliland. He
resided in Maskat continuously during the remainder of the year.
His Majesty’s ship “ Hyacinth ” with His Excellency Rear-Admiral
.Slade, Naval Commander-in-Chief on
Royal Navy.
board, visited Maskat on May 3rd.
The “ Fox,” the “ Perseus,” the “ Sphinx,” the " Lapwing ” and the “ Red­
breast ” visited Maskat on various occasions on duty.
The French cruiser “ Bruix ” arrived
Foreign Ships of War.
from Karachi on July 1st and left on
July 3rd.
The Italian cruiser “ Elba ” arrived on October 12th and left on October
15th.
The Political Agent and the Agency Surgeon went on tour to Sib, by
Tour8 sea, in the latter part of March. The
•Agency Surgeon remained there for
some weeks and opened a temporary dispensary. The Political Agent ^re­
mained four days and returned to Mutrah by land. On April 5th the Politi­
cal Agent again went to Sib, by sea, and thence travelled by land with Seyyid
Nadir to Beyt-el-Felej, Nakhl, Halban, Semayil, Ghobar and Bosher return­
ing to Mutrah on April 10th.
On April 14th the Political Agent went to Sur in H- M. S. “ Redbreast ”
and returned to Maskat on April 16th.
The Political Agent left Maskat for Karachi on June 2nd, and returned
to Maskat on August 2nd. The Agency Surgeon left Maskat for Karachi
on September 15th and returned on October 11th.
The Political Agent and the Agency Surgeon went to Sur and Khor
Jarama in His Highness’ yacht on October 21st and returned to Maskat on
October 23rd.
During the year 1909, 34 slaves applied to be freed. Of these 20 were
Mekranis and 14 Africans. Sixteen
Slave Trade.
Mekranis and 12 Africans were granted
manumission certificates and the remaining 4 Mekranis and 2 Africans either
proved not to be entitled to freedom or went back to ifjeir masters of their
own accord. Six persons applied for assistance in recovering their relatives
from slavery. The efforts made were successful in five cases-
Medical Work.—The hospital has again been largely utilised during the
past year. The new patients totalled
Medical work, public health and quarantine.
5,570. The in-patients numbered 124.
Eight major selected operations arid 150 cainor operations were per­
formed.
The new hospital now in course of construction should, when it is opened,
give a great impetus to medical work in Oman as it will then be possible for
the Agency Surgeon to undertake surgical operations under favourable condi­
tions and to carry on laboratory work.
Public Health.—There have been no special epidemics in Oman. Malarial
fever was very prevalent during the year in the towns of Maskat and Mutrah
and in Oman generally. Few residents of these towns escaped with less thaii
one or two attacks during the course of a year. Europeans and the natives of
India who live in Maskat suffer severely. All the staff of the Agency have
had attacks during the past year. Three incumbents of the post of Agency
Dragoman were forced to leave Maskat owing to recurring attacks of malaria.
Quarantine.—The Agency Surgeon as in former years has directed the
quarantine arrangements on behalf of His Highness the Sultan. The work
has been carried on smoothly and satisfactorily. One case of plague was