Page 148 - Arabian Studies (V)

138 Arabian Studies V
Thomas served as an Assistant Political Officer in Mesopotamia (1918-22)
and as Assistant British Representative in Transjordan (1922-5) before
taking up duties in the Sultanate. He later held positions as Public
Relations Officer in the Gulf (1942-3), Director of the Middle East Centre
for Arabi Studies (MECAS; in Palestine during 1944-6 and in Lebanon
during 1947-8) and Advisor to Shell Group in the Middle East (1948-9). He
died on 27 December 1950 aged 58.
3. IO, R/15/3/40; PRPG Biscoc to PAM Murphy, No. 418-S, 20 July
1924.
4. IO, R/15/1/452; Murphy to Biscoe, No. 47-C, 8 April 1930.
5. IO, R/15/1/452; Biscoe to E. B. Howell, Foreign Secretary to the
Government of India, Demi-official No. 180-S, 16 April 1930.
6. This material was used in ‘The Musandam Peninsula and Its People
the Shihuh’, Journal of the Royal Centra! Asian Society, XVI, I, London,
1929, 71-86; and Alarms and Excursions in Arabia, London, 1931, 215-
254.
7. Hedgcock had been an alternate name given by A. T. (later Sir
Arnold) Wilson when Thomas was selected. IO, R/l5/1/418; A. T.
Wilson, General Manager of Anglo-Persian Oil Company, to PRPG
Prideaux, 18 May, 1924.
8. Thomas’s account of his successful journey is contained in Arabia
Felix: Across the Empty Quarter, London, 1932.
9. Philby published an account of his journey (following Thomas’s) in
The Empty Quarter, London, 1933. See also Elizabeth Monroe, Philby of
Arabia, London, 1973.
10. IO, R/15/3/337; Annual Muscat Administration Report for 1930.
11. IO, R/l5/3/58; Fowleto Biscoe, No. 104-C, 19 December 1930.
12. IO, R/15/1/418; Biscoe to E. B. Howell, Foreign Secretary to the
Government of India, personal, 23 January 1931.
13. IO, R/15/3/58; Political Agent, Bahrayn, to PAM, Telegram of 21
February 1931.
14. IO, R/15/3/57; Biscoe to Fowle, Telegram No. 6, 2 January 1931.
15. IO, R/15/1/418; Biscoe to Howell, No. 7-T, 27 January 1931,
Although the Indian rupee was the usual currency of Muscat and the
Coast, it was not accepted in the interior, which continued to use the Maria
Theresa dollar until 1970.
16. IO, R/15/3/57; Fowleto Biscoe,Telegram No. 54, 11 March 1931.
17. IO, R/15/3/58; Hedgcock to Fowle, 10 April 1931. Specifically,
i Hedgcock claimed that Biscoe had allowed only a 5 per cent reduction
I instead of the 12 per cent allegedly agreed upon.
18. IO, R/15/3/58; Fowle to Secretary to PRPG, No. 114-C, 14 April
1931.
5
! 19. Ibid.
20. IO, R/15/3/58; Biscoe to Fowle, Telegram No. 254, 21 April 1931.
21. Ibid.
22. His abrupt departure from Muscat turned out to be an attempt to
prolong his official capacity by dodging his notice of termination from the
Council of Ministers. He later slipped out of Simla to Bushire just ahead of
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