Page 325 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

POR THE YEA.B 1914. 41
ia December, he stayed at Karyat from the 12th to the close of the year. At
the latter place His Highness has constructed two new defensive watch towers.
Saiyid Muhammad bin Faisal proceeded to Bombay in May on a pleasure trip
returning to Maskat in August. *
Saiyid Dhiyab bin Fabad bin Turki, referred to in Lost year’s report, who
had been living in Maskat, suddenly left for Bombay in March. It was reported
that he was not pleased with the treatment he was receiving from His Highness,
lie returned to Maskat on the request of His Highness towards the end of
March and left again for Bombay in July. He has not since returned to
Maskat.
Saiyid Salim bin Faisal visited Debai in September, returning to Maskat in
December. Owing to the vagaries of the mail service, however, he was detain­
ed on the way.
The period of mourning for his late father, His Highness Saiyid Faisal bin
Turki, having expired on tho 27th September, His Highness the 8ultan cele­
brated the first anniversary of his reign on the 28th September. The forts
were dressed and a salute was firod in honour of the occasion. The Agency
flagstaff as also the Foreign Consulates were dressed. The Political Agent,
accompanied by the Agency Surgeon, paid a congratulatory visit to His High­
ness the Sultan.
The Imam, Salim bin Rashid al Kharusi, continued to give trouble
throughout the year in the interior. His
Condition of country.
hostile preparations for an attack on
Maskat were on several occasions a source of considerable anxiety to His
Highness.
In April, owing to the threatening attitude of the Oman tribes on the
coast, where British interests arc especially centered and whore the rebels had
collected, the ports of Barka aud Karyat were bombarded by H.M. S. “ Fox**
and u Dartmouth ” respectively.
This had a temporarily tranquiliising effect and little was heard of actual
activity on the part of the rebels until August, when a hostile movement was
again, set on foot, which had the combined support of Shaikh Isa bin Saleh
al Harithi aud Shaikh Hamyar bin Nasir, tho Imam’s chief Lieutenants. In
November the situation became so serious that reinforcements were sent to
Maskat. A large hostile gathering of the tribes took place in December and
Maskat and Matrah were threatened. By the end of the year the situation
had become extremely critical.
(N.JB.—Since the end of tho year the threatened attack has taken place.
A force of Arabs estimated at 3,000 attacked the British outpost line, on 11th
January 1915, and met with a crushing defeat, their casualties being estimated
at 350. The British casualties were 7 rank and file killed and 15 wounded, of
whom one was a British officer slightly wounded.)
Tho Maskat Arms Warehouse has worked well during the year and has
fully justified its establishment. There
Am* n e' ia no reason to suppose that His Highness
has not loyally co-operated in every way to make it a success.
A glance at the usual returns, which are appended to this report, will show
that the import of arms and ammunition into Maskat has ceased. The year’s
imports amount to the almost negligible sum of R3,860 as against the H3,84,902
of the year 1913 and R33,64,485 of 1912. Of the year’s imports, SI,600 re­
presents value of arms and ammunition imported m German bottoms and the
balance by British ships. The entire imports represent 25 oases ammunition
for His Highness’ use and 5 rifles and 2,500 rounds ammunition for the personal
use of Saiyid Yusuf az ZuwawL
Three cases of machine guns and 52 oases ammunition and accessories im­
ported by His Highness from a French firm in German bottoms do not, however,
appear in these returns as their value was not declared.
The stook of French arms, of which an inventory wai made in August
1913 and which wore plnoed under tho seals of the two Governments, were on
O