Page 249 - PERSIAN 2C 1890_1899_Neat

RESIDENCY AND MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY POR THE YEAH 1894*96. 19
In August when the date season was at it its height, His Highness bsw
fit to adopt a measure which was the cause of considerable inconvenience and
jjritish subjects trading at Mattrah. Without previous warning to
loss to
those chiefly concerned instructions were issued to the customs master for the
removal from Mattrah of the scales for weighing dates, and exporters were in­
formed that, during the remainder of the date season, the scales at Maskat
Id alone be available for the weighment of dates for export.
wou
On October 5th the Telegraph office at Gwadur, which had been closed
since September 1893, was re-opened, and it was announced that the office would
thenceforth bo maintained as a combined post and telegraph office.
The case of the seven Africans, referred to in last year’s report, has again
been the subject of repeated references to
Slave trade.
His Highness the Sultan; but none of their
number have as yet been recovered.
The terms of the agreement which had been concluded with the Hinds
of Hand by the Political Agent in Southern Baluchistan on behalf of the
Government of India in January 1891 were in July communicated to His
Highness the Sultan. One of the clauses of the agreement was to the effect
that the runaway slaves of the Rinds taking refugo at Gwadur would not be
allowed to remain, but would be deported elsewhere as quickly as possible.
His Highness was accordingly requested to instruct his Wali at Gwadur to
afford every facility for their deportation, the cost of which would be borne by
the Government of India.
There were no seizures of slave-dhows during the year. Fifty fugitive
slaves took refuge at the Consulate; of these forty-four were liberated and
five were dismissed, being held not entitled to their freedom under the Treaty
of 1873, while one left the protection of the Consulate during investigation of
his case.
Her Majesty’s ships Sphinx, Pigeon, Lapicing, and Bramble, and the
R. I. M. S. Laicrence touched at Mas­
Navy.
kat.
Maskat was also visited by the Italian man-of-war Crist oforo Colombo
with llis Koyal Highness the Duke of Abruzzi on board, by the Turkish gun­
boat Sahir and corvette Ilevrikh, and by the French man-of-war Troude.
In July, a Persian bagla belonging to Abdul Kadir and Ibraliim-bin-
Abdul Wabid of Liugab, was wrecked on
Narine.
the soutb-east coast of Arabia at a place
near Mahout. The nakhoda and crew reached the shore in a boat; but on land­
ing they were at once set upon by the Bedouins and robbed of all they pos­
sessed; while eight of their number who were negroes were carried off into
slavery. The nakhoda and the remainder of the crow made their way to Maskat
and reported the circumstances to His Highness the Sultan. Measures were
immediately takcu by His Highness to effect the liberation of the negroes, and
five of them were subsequently recovered. Of the remaining three two were
believed to have been ransomed by an inhabitant of Lingah, and the Political
Resident in the Persian Gulf was addressed with a view to the necessary en­
quiries being made, it being also suggested that these men if traced might be
able to furnish information regarding the fate of their missing companion.
Major J. Hayes-Sadler held charge of the Political Agency and Consulate
Official changes. throughout the year.
J. F. WHYTE, If a j or,
27. B. 11*8 Political Agent and Consul, Maskat
Cl