Page 54 - Gulf Precis(II)_Neat

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Part II—Chap. XII.
being restored. But there was lot of traffic carried on in the wide ocean
unknown to the Custom House Officers or Brokers of Syud Sultan. Now in
regard to Rohma’s coming to Maskat he was deputed from the Utubis, and
to seize or refuse admission to an ambassador was impossible, Syud Sultan
thought ho could have obliged him by persuasion and inspiring him with a
dread of the Company’s vengeance to have restored the goods, ho therefore
received him as an ambassador, and sent for him once to confer on this subject
he urged him by every persuasiou ho could advance, and when he saw there woro
no hopes of recovering the property (and as the person of an ambassador is
sacred all over t he world) he could only refuse to listen to any overtures
regarding his Mission, and ho sent him from his presence without any hope of
reply.
80. The Governor of Bombay ropliod on 25th April 1801, translation of
which is given below:—
Seerot and Poll. Your letter comprising S paragraphs has come before mo, to each of which I havo now to
Dept. Diary
No. 169 of 1801, reply. In regard to tho first on the subject of tho Souvedy, you 6ay that Syud Sultan prevented
• pp. 2370-2375. him from making further «lepredations on the goods and property, and that accompanied by Mr.
Seton ho went forth himself to repulse him, all which is very true, but had Syud Sultan io tho*
like manner prohibited his own agents from sharing tho spoils of tho gunpowder which tho
Souvcdy had plundered, certainly would havo remained with this Government, but that he did
share this booty has becu so clearly proved, you havo not a word to advance in defence of it.
In reply to tho second paragraph that the Imam refused the presents of the French and
would not allow them to land is certainly tho case; this was the true spirit of sincere allianco
and attachment, and in return for this great attention on the part of Syed Sultan you have seen
wbat took place hero when the Captain of the man-of-war seized and brought away some
Frenchmen from Muskat (though it was not inconsistent with propriety) after you told
him that thoy came from Goa with a passport from tho British Resident, and when upon
demanding the said paper, it is well known they had nothiug of the kind, anu though it was
his attempt to deceive him that induced him to make them prisoners, yet as on every occasion
I have done all I could to promote as far as lies in my power the interests of Syud Sultan, I
could not approve of such a proceeding as that of taking them in the harbour of Muskat, and
from a regard from the character of the Government of Syud Sultan and the respect due to his
port I sent back to him these Frenchmen ; and beg you will now well consider what must have
been the exteut of my respect for the character and authority of the Sirkar of Syud Sultan
when I sont them back after having once had them in my power.
In reply to the third paragraph on the subject of Ruhmeh Nukluvee in which you state
that he was deputed from the Ootubees and came to you in the character of an ambassador
whose person was 6acrcd, and could nob be seized—in the first place lot me observe that in no
6tate whatever are thieves or highway robbers admitted as ambassadors, theu how could
Syud Sultan allow u thief and a robber to come to his Court under such a character; and in
the next place, Jalier the son of Abdul Kideir whom Syud Sultan sent to me, told me himself
that the son of Ruhmeh first camu to Syud Sultan; that the Imam gave an asylum and after
making assurances to the same effect Kburaeh himself invited him to his Court, and that ho
told me this I have many witnesses; and Jabeir, moreover, alleged that Rhumoh brought with
him the property he had plundered from the Hon'ble Company and sold it in Muskat harbour
to Umbur Gholam Daood Khuleel who sent it to Judda. Was it consistent with tho situation
of Syud Sultan to offer protection or to invite any of the enemies of his Government, and in
the next place, that the stolen property should be sold in the very cove of Muskat, and the
subjects of Syud Sultan be the purchasers; and you say that all this took place without
the knowledge of Syud Sultan, what can be more derogatory than for tho proprietor
or Ruler of a country to lie as to what is taking place in his own dominions and the transactions
of his subjects ? As the respectable M'ehedi Ali Khan was the first who founded a friendly
alliance between the two States, and now interesting himself as mediator, and
you have come here to take upon yourself tho adjustment of the unpleasant business, I
have accordingly to propose that which hero follows. What has hitherto passed with the
Agent of Syud Sultan I look over aud consider this day as the period from which we may date
our reconciliation, and I now wash from my recollection all suspicions of these vile prac­
tices which have lately settled on my mind on the two following conditions that you and
the Nuvab stand responsible for any future irregularities in the conduct of the Agents of
Syed Sultan, or otherwise I will not interfere in fature with the affairs of Syed Sultan, but
submit them to His Excellency the Most Noble Governor-General, whose province it is, and
who will pursue such measures as His Excellency may deem most suitable and requisite.
The second condition is that Syud Sultan and Hajce Saheb must exert every means and
expedient in their power to seize Ruhmeh Nukluvee; it matters not whether they 6end him here, or
detain him at Muskat; he must be imprisoned till he restores the Company’s property jit is well
known that the property is not lost, though it may take some time to recover it, yet if
Ruhmeh withholds it (ihough at the distance of 70 generations after him) it shall ultimately
by some means or other be recovered, and if the Syud Sultan will interest himself a little in this
business, I shall have an opportunity of speaking in his favour to His Excellency the Governor-