Page 97 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOB THE YEAB 1918. 87
frequent, if there were any likelihood of redress, or of the punishment
^offenders. ^
fpo facilitate the landing of cargo His Highness has begun building a jetty
tuning out *rom customs wharf 100 feet out to sea.
His Highness anpronched the Political Agent with a view to collecting
jrVnsharat (export duty) from British subjects in the Batinah ports. The
ucstion was placed before the leading. British Indian merchants wno objected
?o tbc proposal on the grounds that His Highness’ authority in those parts was
. ;vcak that the result of any 6uch orders would bo that British merchants
would pay the ma’asharat, whereas Arab merchants, in those parts usually
pedouin Shaikhs, would escape. They therefore thought that, in the Batinah
ports, the ma’asharat should be levied from the cultivators, who would be able
|o collect from merchants by charging a higher price for their goods. The
proposal therefore fell through and His Highness has not raised it again.
During the year under report applications for freedom were received
from 46 slaves of whom 33 were freed.
Slave Trade.
Of the 46,15 were from Mekran and the
remainder from Zanzibar.
His Excellency the Hon’ble Sir Alexander E. Bethell, K.C.M.G., Rear
Admiral and Naval Commander-in-Chief
Eoyal Navy.
of the Hast Indies Squadron, visited
Hasbat twice during the year on board the H. M. S. “ Highflyer His
first visit was in Apiil and the second lasted from 30th September to 2nd
December. This is the first time in Maskat history that an English Admiral
has stayed at Maskat for over two months.
All the other ships of the East Indies Squadron have been constantly in
and out of the port in connection with the arms traffic operations and when the
Admiral visited Maskat on the second occasion, six Men-of-War remained
stationed in the port for two months.
No Foreign Mau-of War visited Maskat
Foreign Xovy.-
during the year under report.
The Reverend Father Bernard of the
American and Carmelite Missions.
Carmelite Mission visited Maskat in May.
The Americau Missionaries have been active as usual throughout the year.
Dr. Mordyk visited Maskat during the year. Dr. Thoms has remained in
charge of the Muttra Hospital aud has made himself very popular. The Mission
has bought and rebuilt a room in the bazaar at Maskat wherein books are
sold by a Baghdadi Christian.
During the month of January a Kuwait “ boom ” “ Ambar Towil.”
belonging to Shahin bin Ghanim was
Weather and rainfall.
reported wrecked and lost with her cargo
of dates in the vicinity of Maskat. Of the 44 souls on hoard, seven had
reached Sib and Barka.
The rainfall for the year amounted to 7'69 inches. The hot weather,
though it lasted longer than usual, was not for Maskat severe. The highest
temperature during the year recorded was 113'2° on the 26th May. - The
highest average day temperature was 104'5° in the month of June and the
highest average night temperature was 901° in the month of July. The
fewest day- temperature recorded was 65*4° on the 27th January, and the
*°west night temperature was 57*4' on the 1st January.
Tables of temperature and rainfall are appended.
The Political Agent made a short tour to Oman ports during the month of
_ 4 January in the R.I.M.S. “ Minto ”
our* o o i c* gen kindly placed at his disposal by the
jpftior Naval Officer. In the course of his tour the Political Agent visited
^^riyat, Sur, Masna, Sohar and Shenaa.
In the month of February, Mr. J. B. Wood, G.I.E., of the Foreign
Department of tho Government of India,.
Diitin&tmliod Vinton.
• , visited Maskat in connection with the*
Auction of coTtnomics in the working of the offices in the Persian Gulf.