Page 465 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

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after this, Haji Amin sent word to Maskat, where the required number of rifles
and amount of ammunition was shipped on board native vessels to be taken off.
Formerly the rifles in boxes were placed under planks, now, however, that
vessels were searched by gunboats it was stated that the rifles were done up in
lead cases, and an arrangement of rings and chains was fixed to the bottom of
the boats. If, therefore, a gunboat was sighted, the boxes hooked to the chains
were let over the side until the vessel had been searched.
The vessel with the rifles then proceeded to some out of-the-way place near
Bunder Abbas, which had been notified, and the rifles were taken off into the
jungle or secret hiding place. On news being received at Bunder Abbas of their
safe arrival, the retail Powindah purchaser proceeded with his camels and boxes
accompanied by one of Haji Amin's men to the spot. The latter having handed
over the rifles, immediately made himself scarce. The Powindahs then started
off towards Meshed and proceeded vid that place to Seistan and Quetta or there­
abouts, whence thay made for Khorasan vid the wild hills of Baluchistan. During
this journey, they would travel by night along the road and by day lie concealed
in favourable spots off the road.
On arrival, the rifles were sold at variable prices, the better class fetched
about Rs. 180 when sold to Powindahs, where as the inferior fetch only Rs. 70—
80. There appeared, however, to be only one price for every kind at Bander
Abbas. The cartridges which seemed to be the commonest among the Mahsuds
were Nos 1, a, 10, 12 and 5 and it was concluded that Nos. 5, 10 and 12 were
those cartridges of which loo were given with every rifle brought up from Bunder
Abbas direction.
75. Writing under date the 25th August 1901, the Political Resident in the
Persian Gulf in commenting upon a report by the Political Agent, Maskat, on the
subject of the arms trade in the Persian Gulf, gave his opinion that most of the
arms imported into Maskat found their way into Persia, where the demand was
naturally the greatest. It was practically impossible for the Persian Customs
authorities to check the traffic. “ In course of time”— said Colonel Kemball-r
“ they may be able to put a stop to the importation of arms into the larger ports,
but 1 do not see how they are ever going to prevent dhows running into the
numerous small places along the extensive line of coast.
1 have heard on good authority that even now dhows find no difficulty in
bringing small consignments 10 places within a few miles of Bushire. ”,
Colonel Kemball thought that it was practically impossible that the traffic in
arms carried on as it was by native sailing craft could ever be put a stop to in the
Persian Gulf so long as an active demand existed and purchasers were willing
to give remunerative price. There was some talk about the intention of the
Persian Government to purchase two small gunboats for the purpose of patrolling
the Persian Coast of the Gulf, but it was doubted even if these guuboats were
procured and kept in working order, whether any effectual check on the trade
would result.

The difficulty of dealing with the Arms trade at Maskat owing to the
French and American Treaties.

76. In connection with a suggestion that the French Government might be
approached diplomatically with a view to a revision of the existing treaties^ with
Maskat so as to admit of the Sultan's prohibiting the importation of arms, it was
thought that the French Government were not likely to agree to an actual prohibi­
tion by the Sultan of the import of arms kito his dominions. Both the French and
American Treaties provided that import of all kinds of merchandise into Maskat
was to be entirely free, and the French Treaty provided that there should be no pro-
h ibhiop t.i*her oi import or of export of any article. The Treaty with the Nether­
lands simply provided for the most*favoured*nation treatment. There was no
limitation of the effect of these Treaties similar to that in Article 23 of the English
Treaty, and they must remain in force until terminated by mutual consent.
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