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the Stato he ruled depended on the continuanco of that Friendship which
now happily subsisted between him and the Honorable Company.
4. Finding him in so favorable a disposition, I proposed an Agreement*
for his signature, which stipulated, in the first instance, for his strict perform­
ance of his former engagements, and in the second, for the Residence of an
English Gentleman in a public character as the Agent of the Honorable
Company’s Government at the Port of Muscat. He assented to enter into
this Agreement in the readiest manner, observing it was one obviously calculated
for his advantage, as it opened, in the first instance, a channel through which
he could daily improve his Friendship with the English, and in| the second,
provided against those evils that might arise from future misrepresentation.
5. I have the honor to enclose a copy of .the Agreement, with Translation.
(The original is transmitted to Mr. Duncan.) I hope it will meet with Your
Lordship’s approbation. Although I had no specific instructions to conclude
such an engagement, I thought, uader the circumstances of the moment, that
by doing so I was meeting in the fullest manner the wishes of the Govern­
ment of Bombay, to which Your Lordship directed me to attend in all matters
that related to this negotiation.
6. The Imaum appears a Prince of a very active and enterprizing dis­
position, and is likely, from what I could observe, not only to preserve that
power which he has usurped, but to improve it to a considerable extent. He
is the first' Merchant, as well as Sovereign of his Country, and protects his
own property and that of his subjects by a navy which is by no means con-
temptible. His largest Vessel, the Gunjava, on board of whioh his Flag is
generally hoisted, carries thirty-two Guns of different calibres—and is a ship of
one thousand Tons burthen. He has three others, rigged and armed in the
European manuer, which carry each upwards of twenty Guns, and a numerous
Fleet of well-appoiuted Arab Craft. He is now without a rival among the
Arab Chiefs in this Quarter, and has taken possession of almost every Island in
the Gulph that can facilitate the commerce of his Country with Persia and
Turkey. In several of these, but particularly in Hormuz, he is making con­
siderable improvements; he looks forward to great advantage from this latter
Island, in exporting its’ natural produce of salt, and will, no doubt, make an
early application for an increased privilege of importingthat article into Bengal.
How far Your Lordship may be influenced by motives which relate to the
Trade of India to reject or comply with this request when it i9 made, I am
unacquainted ; but, a9 it is probable, if any commercial arrangements are
made in this Quarter, that some Cessions either of duties, or of Territory, may
be required of the Imaum, it occurs to me that witholding an indulgence of
such consequence to him, a9 the Importation of Salt to Bengal, will be the
best mode of securing his ready compliance with any demand that may here­
after be made as an equivalent; but I shall have occasion to speak more fully
on thi§ subjeot in a letter which I propose addressing to Your Lordship on the
Trade to this Gulph.
I have the honour to be, with the highest respect,
My Lord,
Your Lordship’s most obedient humble servant,
ABU8URHRE,
lit of February%1800.
JOHN MALCOLM,
Envoy,
• Printed in Aitobiion'a Treaties, Volume XI.