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and ammunition, but that he was not prepared to recommend an assent to the
request, unless the assent of other powers admitted of such increase being of general
application, so that the interests of British manufacturers and merchants should
not exclusively suffer. The matter was referred to the Secretary of State* with
the remark that His Highness the Sultan
* Despatch No. x 16 of 1897.
Pro. No. 34, ibid. appeared to incline rather to make a profit
from the trade than to desire to put it
down. The Sultan gave, it is true, as a reason for wishing to. raise the import
duty on arms, the consideration that 11 the continued import in large quantities
of arms and ammunition is likely to cause serious trouble to ourselves,” but an
addition of per cent, to the duty was not likely to act as a deterrent. The
Secretary of State was further informed that although India was not, perhaps,
directly interested from a military point of view, Imperial interests were involved
in questions which might arise from the trade.
A large proportion of the arms trade of Zanzibar appeared to have been
diverted to Maskat about the year 1892, and Maskat had for some time, been
the principal port of entry for consignments of arms sent to the Gulf and the
Oman coast.
The Secretary of State enquires regarding the importation of arms
into Afghanistan, 1897.

32. In October, 1897, the Secretary of State informed the Government of
India that it had been reported that on
Secret F., June 1898, Nos. 251—346.
previous occasions the importation of arms
into Afghanistan had been conducted through Persia. It was also said that
a large cargo of Mauser rifles was likely to be sent nominally to Hongkong, but
really to Bunder Abbas.
This information was telegraphed to Colonel Meade who was asked to furnish
his remarks thereon. In accordance with later instructions received from the
Secretary of State, Colonel Meade was
t Pro. No. 266.
directed! to observe extreme caution in
making enquiries, so as to prevent the operators taking alarm.
The Resident in the Persian Gulf telegraphing on the 22nd October 1897
said} that it did not appear that arms
} Pro. No. 267.
were taken via Bushire to Afghanistan,
but it was known that large quantities constantly consigned to Maskat were
carried by native boats to Bunder Abbas, whence their ultimate destination was
unknown, but that the British Agent at Lingah would enquire secretly and report.
Colonel Meade recommended that the Resident at Aden should be advised to
watch cargoes of arms transhipped for the Persian Gulf, and to send particulars
by telegraph. It was further suggested that the Persian Government should be
urged strictly to enforce the existing orders against the importation of arms into
Persia, on the ground that danger would follow to trade and internal tranquillity
if it were not checked.
Pro. No. 269. The Resident at Aden was in­
structed in accordance with Colonel
Meade's recommendations.
33. On the 25th October 1897, the Secretary of State telegraphed that
owing to the fact that he was making enquiries into the alleged arms traffic, it
was desirable that the local officers should do nothing further at present. The
Aden and Persian Gulf authorities were informed accordingly.
Examination of surrendered arms on the North-West Frontier, 1898.
34. The following extract from a despatch to the Secretary of State (No. 78
Pro. No. 323. of 1898) regarding the results of the exam­
ination of rifled arms and ammunition
surrendered by the tribesmen on the North-West Frontier, is of interest in connec­ I
tion with the trade via the Persian Gulf:—
11 We forward also four reports by the Ordnance Department on small-arms ammunition
taken from the tribes on the North-West Frontier. The great majority of cartridges and