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other channels, said that it now appeared that .arms and ammunition were
conveyed to Maskat from Dushirc and also direct from England on orders sent
home from Bushire.
25. In April of the same year, the Sadr i-Azam addressed Sir Mortimer
Durand, pointing out that arms were imported from time to time as merchandize
into the interior of the country through the ports, and that when any officials of
the Persian Government got to know of the fact, the owners pretended that the
arms were destined for the district of Oman. Under these circumstances, it
was requested that the necessary orders might be given to the responsible
persons to import firearms, intended for Oman, to that place by sea, without
entering the ports of the Persian Gulf in order that they might not be interfered
with by the Persian authorities. The Government of India replying to Sir M.
Durand, said that it rested with the Persian Government to adopt any measures
which might be considered necessary in respect to the introduction of arms
through Persian ports. Further, that the Government of India would prefer to
avoid any action which might tend, directly or indirectly, to stimulate the trade
in arms with Oman, and did not propose to move in the matter.

The Bombay Government grant a license for shipment of percussion
caps to Bushire, 1895.
26. In September, 1895. the Bombay Government reported for information
n f . 1 a that a license had been granted after due
No ?6*i X Crna ’ 95> encluiry an^ w,th the sanction of the Political
4* Resident in the Persian Gulf, to a Persian
subject, Haji Muhamed Tuckey, to enable him to ship 24 lakhs of percussion
caps to Bushire for sale there.

Major Sadler’s report on the Maskat arms traffic, 1886.
27. In March, 1896, Major Sadler furnished his report on the importation
of arms and ammunition into Maskat.
External A. June 1896, Nos. 44—46.
Colonel *WiIson, Resident in the Gulf, in
commenting on this report, pointed out how brisk a trade in arms there was
through Maskat and that it was evidently general throughout the Gulf, and on
the increase. At Bushire it had been very active, all Persian protestations of a
desire to check it, notwithstanding. It was directly to the advantage of the
Local Governor, who on the Persian system bought his office, including the
customs revenues, and who was therefore not at* all likely to hinder so lucrative
a trade.
It was also rumoured that the. Residency Agent at Bahrein was—perhaps
through his connection with Messrs. Francis, Times & Co. (of London and Bushire)
whose agent he had been—the leading man in the trade at Bahrein. Colonel
Wilson further observed that the Turks ought to be most concerned at the
state of the arms trade, for they would find their troops at Hasa, etc., confronted
by Arab tribes much better armed than themselves. At Bahrein too the position
would be more serious should it again be threatened. The position at Maskat
was also serious, for in the event of another revolt the Sultan’s enemies would
be even more formidable than on the last occasion, when they were better armed
than their partisan. In conclusion, Colonel Wilson strongly advocated a re­
arrangement by the Sultan of his foreign engagements so as to exclude this
stream of arms into his country. It was felt, however, that His Highness would,
with his usual perversity, prefer to keep his revenue from the importation of
arms.
Arms traffic at Maskat, 1896.

28. In April, 1896, the India Office forwarded a copy of a. letter from the
Secret E., July 1896, Nos. 266—268. Consul-General at Hamburg stating that
orders had been placed with a local firm
for the supply of some 20,000 repeating rifles for the Sultan of Maskat.