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No provision for * Tor the rest I did not for two reasons, see meet to urge the Establishment
factory at Maikat.
of a factory for tho English Company at Muscat 1st Because from days of old,
tho former Imaums have stipulated with all tho Europeans, that if a factory
wero conceded to one, it should bo so, to all tho others, whence tho ministers
boro allego that, as soon as an English factory should bo set on foot, imme­
diately thereon, tho Ercnoh and Dutch would on tho footing of tho ancient
Engagements, demand a similar indulgence which being contrary to their (tho
Muscat Government's) views to comply with ; the refusal would, they arguo
entail a War on thorn, so as to expose the Muscat Trade to capture wherever
thoir ships should bo mot with, observing thereon, that if such was neverthe­
less my object, 1 should first give them in writing that from the dato of tho
fixing of an English factory, whatever expense the Muscat Government might
bo put to in hostilities with the Erouch and Dutch, and whatevor ships of tho
Muscat People, those nations might carry off at Sea, tho Company should in
consideration of all this Loss, arising from the Establishment of their Factory
indemnify them to the amount thereof, besides which that, in the event of the
Muscat Ships being occupied in fighting with those of tho French and Dutch
or should from fear of them, the Imaums, and his subjects’ Vessels not bo able
to venture out of tho cove of Musoat then must it bo incumbent on the English
shipping to supply the Muscat country the propor Denomination of which is
Omaun with what it wants of Bengal Bico adding, that if the Company would
undertake for these two points, they should not scruple to involvo their country,
and their persons, and interests, in a hostile struggle for a year or two, with
the 2 nations in question; But as I considered all this, as the source of
further mischief, as knowing how probable it was that tho Omanion subjects
(Omaun being, as above noticed, the name of the Muscat Country) would make
no difficulty to value their Loss, by the capture of tho first ship, at 10 or 20
lakhs of rupees, I have therefore dropped, for the present, the matter of a
factory but it was my wish, that an English Gentleman, and a Gomashta of
mine, should remain here, and who whilst they might carry on some Trade, and
Business, should also, be in the way of communicating Intelligence; and the
Imaum did also agree to this, and has even given me full authority in all his
concerns, saying that he had no objection to whatever I saw meet; but after I
had departed ; the Company’s Broker, over set this, and Impressed the Imaum
with the Idea, that by there remaining any English Gentleman at Musoat
Constant disputes would be Kept up; and altho’ the Imaum did not quote tho
Dellol, as the author of this suggestion, Still I was forced to acquiesce in the
objections, that he afterwards urged,
I learnt in the next place, that the applications of tho French and Dutch
Proriiion for • _ .
factory at Gomb- had probably reached the Imaum, thro’ this same Dellol, to let them have
roou.
factories in the Port of Gombroom on the former footing, offering in such case,
to make good to the Imaum what he had to pay as Ro venue on that account
to the Sovereign of Persia ; and at the same time to allow all the income or
profits to remain with him so that had my arrival here happened a month later,
it is probable, that they would have succeeded in their designs; but now that
the Imaum, and his counsellors have imbibed adverse dispositions to those
nations and been fixed in amity and favourable Regard towards the English
Government. I therefore applied to him to have an English factory at
Gombroon, and having fully accomplished that point I have now loft it subject
to the approbation of your Government.