Page 573 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883_Neat

RESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR 1882-83. 19

Seyyid Feisul proceeded to Samacel to mediate between them, and, bav-
succeeded in patching up a peace, returned to Muscat on 12th June.
4% The death of Ali-bin-Saeed, brother of Hamood.bin-Saeed, was
reported during this month, but turns out to be incorrect.
5. On the 21st June it was rumoured that Seyyid Abdool Azeez, the
Sultan's brother, with a large force, accompanied by Hamood-bin-Saeed-al-
Jahafee, Sheik of a section of the A1 Waheebeh and a notorious robber,
had got through the pass of'Ak, one of the two passes practicable for
animals leading from the Sharkeeyeh, for the guardianship of which the
tribes inhabiting these passes, the Nidabee-een and llabbee-een, were
subsidised by Seyyid Toorkee. On the 22nd June information was
received that Seyyid Abdool Azeez and Hamood were at Wuteiyeh,
about 6 miles from Muscat and 3 miles from Muttrah, and on the
morning of the 23rd June a letter was received from Abdool Azeez in
reply to a communication from Major Grant, saying that he intended
attacking Muttrah and Muscat, and requesting that British subjects
be warned to remove themselves and property. On the following day,
24th June, Her Majesty's ship Arab, Commander Stopford, came
into port. Her arrival tended much to allay the fears of the
British Indian subjects, and in course of the same day a message came
from Hamood-al Jahafee to the Sultan expressing a desire to come into
Muscat and treat, if he were given safe conduct under the protection of
Sheik Yoosif of the Beni-bu-Ali, Nasir Juweizanee, a Wahabee Chief,
Shamis bin Hasan al Amaree, and Nasir-bin-Hamaid, Sheik of the Beni
Hasan. On the following morning these Sheiks were sent to Wuteiyeh,
and before uoon returned, bringing with them Hamood-al-Jahafee, who
returned to Wuteiyeh the same evening, having received a present. On
the 28th June the following terms were come to: Seyyid Abdool Azeez*
to receive a monthly allowance of £200. Saleh-bin-Ali, who was included
in the arrangements, £50 a month. II amood-al-Jahafee got a present of
money and rice, with permission to visit Muscat once a year with 50
followers, to receive presents of course. Upon these terms Seyyid
Abdool Azeez retired to Semed, where he still is, and Hamood went to
the Wadi Marawal to collect some money owing to him. The whole
force of Seyyid Abdool Azeez and Haraood only amounted to some 80
men of the Al Waheebeh, but, by allowing none of the country-people to
come near their position, they managed to conceal their true numbers,
which were consequently magnified by report into many hundreds.
6 In July Seyyid Feisul was sent to punish the Sheik of the Nidabee-
een (Suleim-bin-Seif), who had given Seyyid Abdool Azeez passage
through the pass of 'Ak; on his approach, however, Suleim went to
Abdool Azeez and Saleh -bin- Ali, who sent letters to both His Highness
Seyyid Toorkee and Seyyid Feisul, declaring that they would resent his
being molested, and, on the receipt by Seyyid Feisul of the letter to his
address, he immediately returned to Muscat. The reason assigned for
the defection of the Nidabee-een on .this occasion was that the inhabit­
ants of a small date plantation, named Saroor, at the foot of the pass,
who had hitherto been considered as allied to the Nidabee-een, were
givou recognition by His Highness Seyyid Toorkee as belonging to the
Beui Jabir, whom they preferred, thus giving the Beni Jabir a prepon-
B