Page 299 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

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l i«j. When M. Ottavi was raised to the position of a Consul he demanded
from the Sultan the same salute as the British representative, that is 11 guns, a
demand which was complied with by His Highness.
115. In 1900 M. Ottavi refused to return the official visit of the Com­
mander of the Cossack, because the latter was unable to accord him the 11 gun-
salute which he claimed. The Commander's action was fully supported by the
Naval Commandcr-in-Chief. M. Ottavi seems to have referred the matter to
the French Government, but what action was taken by them it is not known. No
further claim was made by M. Ottavi for the 1 i-gun salute.
116. M. Laroncc, who succeeded M. Ottavi, ranked as Vice-Consul, but
received salutes of 9 guns from French men-of-war. One of the American men-
of-war fired the 1 i-gun salute to the American Vice-Consul, and acting Consul
Mr. Mackirdy, while another American man-of-war accorded him the salute of
7 guns.
117. Major Cox thought that the salute of 11 guns accorded to the British
Political Agent was a source of embarrass­
External A-, January 1903, Nos 95-26.
ment to the Consular representatives of
other countries. He therefore proposed that either he should be authorized to
inform foreign men-of-war that his salute was only 7 guns, while still receiving the
11 guns salute from British men-of-war, provided the representatives of other
powers agreed to accept from British vessels purely their Consular salutes, or
that the French or American Governments should be asked to state what salutes
should be accorded to their representatives at Maskat.
1 18. The Government of India decided, however, not to take any action on
these proposals. So long as our ships gave the French representative the salute
fixed by the regulations, it matters little what practice the ships of other nations
followed, while it would not be politic to abandon a salute of 11 guns which the
latter accorded to our representative. It is just well that foreign men-of-war
should recognize that our representative at Maskat is something more than a
Consul, and so long as they continued to recognize this, the Government of
India saw no adequate-grounds for protest (Foreign Department letter No. 2476-E.,
dated 16th December *902, with demi-official of 20th December 1902 to Major
Cox).

Salutes for the Vice-Consul at Baidar Abbas.

119. When the H. M. S. Pomonc visited Bandar Abbas in March 1902, it
fired a salute of 7 guns to the Vice-Con­
External A., August 1902, Noj. 12-23.
sul, Captain Boxer, although as Vice-Con­
sul he was not entitled to the honour. Colonel Kemball was of opinion that for
political reasons it was desirable that the practice, thus fortuitously instituted,
should be continued. The Government of India agreed with the Resident.
There appeared to be two alternative methods by which this'could be effected,
namely :—(a) either to raise the rank of Vice-Consul to that of a Consul, or
(0) to move the Admiralty to instruct the commanders of His Majesty’s ships
to continue the salute of the Vice-Consul, as a special arrangement. The Gov­
ernment of India asked for instructions of His Majesty’s Government.
120. In the meanwhile they requested the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies
Station, to instruct Captain Windham of H M, S. Amphitrite, when he visited
Bandar Abbas, to accord to His Majesty’s representative the same salute as was
given by the Pomonc.
121. The Admiralty issued instructions to the Commandcr-in-Chief, East
External A . October ,*». No., .oo-tot. JlldieS S.ti,ti0n/. " * “^angerntnl,
to continue the practice of saluting his
Majesty’s Vice-Consul at Bandar Abbas with 7 guns.
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