Page 562 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

u ANNUAL KErOTIT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

A regiment of Native Infantry continued to protect Muscat and Muttra
The regiment, which pickets tlm hill'
Brltuh Troop* in Oman. around, is stationed in the fort and 8
camp
at Bait-ul-Falaj, 1$ miles from Muttra.
On 28th of May the 108th Infantry was relieved by the 3rd Brahman*
from Mesopotamia. On the 30th the 108th Infantry proceeded to Basrah.
In ’February an excellent road from Muttra to Bait-ul-Falaj was made
by the 108th Infantry, and transport carts were obtained to replace the coolies
who had hitherto carried all baggage and stores.
An Inland Water Transport Officer was appointed to Muscat in Feb­
ruary, and an oil barge was anchored at Muttra Harbour to oupply 8hip»
of the Inland Water Transport en route to Basrah.
During a cyclone off the Dhofar coast, in the month of June, an Inland
Water Transport Tug, No. S.T.-21, parted company with a Refrigerator Barge
it was towing. The Refrigerator Barge ran ashore on the mainland near Has
Bideri, some distance below Mashireh Island, but the Tug was never heard of
again. The crew of the “ Refrigerator,” consisting of seven men, were brought off
by two friendly Arabs and, after travelling for a week across country, obtained a
dhow and were finally landed at Muscat. But the barge and all it contained was
looted by the Bedouins. Some rifles, which were on board, reached the interior
of Oman for sale at the end of the year.
Brigadier-General Douglas, Commanding at Bushire, visited Muscat on
inspection on the 16th June and the 2nd November.
On the 6th September His Excellency Vice-Admiral E. F, A. Gaunt,
C.B., G.M.G., Naval Commander-in-
Chief, East Indies Squadron, arrived at
Muscat in H. M. S. ‘•Northbrook.” His Excellency visited the Sultan who
returned the call and dined on the fiagsbip the same night, being the first
occasion he has accepted such hospitality in any of His MajeGy's ships.
Rear-Admiral D. St. A. Wake, C.B., G.I E., from Basrah, visited the port
on the 12th November in H. M. S. '‘DuSerin.”
Lieutenant-Colonel A. P. Trevor, C.I.E., arrived in H. M. S. “ Lawrence”
on the 6th October leaving on the 8th.
Yiiits of the Depotj Political Rwident.
Mr. J. H. Bill, I.C.S., travelling on the S. S. “ PaRiana/' en route to take
up his appointment, landed on the 14th December.
42 applications were made during the year for manumission, of which
36 were allowed.
Slava Trade.
A certain number of children are brought over from Mekran and sold on
the Batinch coast or in tbo interior of Oman. On no occasion has' it been
possible to prove a case or to catch an offender but the trade continues. While
it is reported that the children are kidnapped, the Sultan states that it is the
parents and^ guardians in Mekran who sell them and encourage the trafE*’'-
Only individual cases continue to be heard of which makes the trade the more
difficult to track, but it is hoped that it will be possible to discover the persons
who make a practice of bringing children and thus to put an end to tbeir
methods.
Trade for the year was, as might be expected, bad. The imports in the
normal year amount to Rs. 42,00,000 sod
the exports to Rs. 40,00,000. The import*
for this year totalled Rs. 29,60,629 and the exports Rs 31,45,108.
Japanese goods continue to increase in number in the local market.
Exports of dried and salted fish, shark fins and Ray for Colombo, Ho*1'
Kong and Zanzibar showed a considerable increase as did local woven cotton
goods, puggries, shirts and shawk for Zanzibar and Aden.
In September, owing to the necessities of his revenues, His Highne*
reroored the prohibition of trade with the interior and dates outward and tv*1
etc., inward moved without restriction.