Page 298 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

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110. The Government of India after obtaining some further information
from the Resident, wrote to the Secretary of State as follows (No. 70, dated
9th May 1901)
Wc have the honour to forward copies of the papers noted in the enclosed list regard­
ing the salutes to be fired by British ships of
•Endoiure No. I. war in the Persian Gulf and at Maskat. The
salutes for the Governors and the Arab Chiefs appear to have been fixed without reference
to Her late Majesty's Government, and the authority for them is the Standing Order* of the
Naval Coinmandcr-in-Chief, No. 94, dated the 2nd April 1899, which, so far as can be
traced from the information before us, was issued without authority of Her Majesty’s
Government or of the Government of India. These salutes were, however, implicitly
approved by the Government of India, and that Her Majesty’s Government were aware of
them is shown by the Marquis of Harrington's Political despatch No. 57, dated the 2nd
June 1881, on receipt of which Lord Ripon's Government determined that salutes should
no longer be required from the small vessels employed in the Persian Gulf. The orders
’ force lay down that only vessels authorised by the King’s Resolutions and Admi­
now in
ralty Instructions (paragraph 47) should fire salutes in the Persian Gulf, except as fol­
lows : —
(а) Order ships may salute in every special circumstnnces on requisition. Such
cases being especially reported to the Naval Commander-in-Chief.
(б) Salutes of not more than 5 guns are given to the chiefs who are under the influ­
ence of the British Government when visiting British ships of war, even when
such ships arc precluded by the general instructions from firing salutes.
2. Your Lordship will observe that, in the list forwarded with the letter from our Poli­
tical Resident in the Persian Gulf, No. 62, dated the 19th February 1900, it is proposed to
give the Shaikh of Kuweit a salute of 5 guns. Wc sec no objection to this, as it is desir­
able to provide for the contingency of his visiting one of His Majesty's ships. We, there­
fore, ask that formal sanction may now be accorded to all the salutes noted in the list
referred to which are not already provided for by the King’s Regulations and Admiralty
Instructions and^tlie Army Regulations, India, that is to say, the salute on the Birthday of
His Imperial Majesty the Shah, when the vessel is in any Persian port, and the salutes to
the Governor of Bushire, the Arab Chiefs and the Governors of Muhammara. Bandar Abbas
and Lingah. The salute of 17 guns for the Governor of Bushire appears to be decidedly
extravagant, but inasmuch as it u in technical accordance with the Kings Regulations, and
is alleged to have been given for some time past, we do not at present see the grounds for
refusing it. We would suggest, however, that a reference be made to Sir Edward Ross
as to whether it was conceded during his time.
in. The Secrotary of State conveyed the sanction of His Majesty’s Gov­
ernment to the salutes as given in the
External A., August 1502, Nos. 13*23.
list prepared by the Resident in his letter
No. 62, dated 19th February 1900.
Salutes Jor the British and French representatives at Maskat.
i!2. Under the Army Regulations the
External A., May toot, Nos. I20-I.15. and
Article 18 of the Queen's Regulations and Admi­ salutes fired to Consular officers are:—
ralty Instructions.
Guns.
To a Consul • M • M 7
To a Consul-General • ft • M 9
At Maskat the Political Agent of the Government of India gets 11 guns, in
his dual capacity as Consul and Agent of the Government of India.
. 113. In 1897 M. Ottavi, then French Vice-Consul at Maskat, asked, the
Political Agent at Maskat whether in the event of his paying an official visit to
H. M. S. Cossack, he would receive the salute he received from the Sultan of
Maskat and from vessels of his own Government, viz., 9 guns. The matter was
referred for the orders of the Resident and he informed the Political Agent that
in view of the fact that French vessels had given him (the Resident) a salute of
13 guns, which he as a Resident of the Government of India is entitled to receive
from vessels of Her Majesty’s Navy, he was of opinion that the same courtesy
should be extended to the representative of the French republic in Maskat.
Under the circumstances the request of M. Ottavi for a salute of 9 guns was
complied with.

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