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(tie animals ?) can waif till Infer dnto. S.ullnn ns independent flOTCreign elands in different
position from Indian Chiefs and 1 recommeud acceptance of his gift,
597. The Socretary of Stato replied on 17 th Juno :
" Foreign Office objection is ono of Riibstanco, as ifs accoptinco necessitates veturn presents
and this would swell considerably Coronation oxponscs. Ah it is not proposed to send horses,
now, I suggest that the Sultan be advised to suspend present till he cau send it full ”
Major Cox was tlion informed (tolegram, dated 23rd June) that as it would
he too Into to send the articles in timo for tlio June Coronation lie should
advise the Sultan to pre-ont the articles at the Delhi Coronation Darliar.
(iii) • The Sultan invited to tho Delhi Darbar: Deputation of his son Sayyid Taimur:
the latter's tour in India : Darbar Day at Maskat.
59S. The Sultan was cordially invited hy the Government of India to
attend the Delhi Darbar as tho guest of Government, or to send a deputation in
the event of his own inability to avail himself of the invitation. Unfortunately
His Highness did not feel able to absent himself from Maskat for the period
which his presence at Delhi in person would have necessitated, and therefore
sent his eldest sou Sayyid Taimur to represent him, attended by Sayyid Yusuf
Zowawi, a close frieud and adviser of the Sultan, and Sayyid Mahomed bin
Ahmad bin Nasir, Governor of Mutrah.
The Political Agent accompanied tho deputation as Political Offioer.
699. On arrival at Karachi Sayyid Taimur was received with his father’s
salute of 21 guns and was escorted on shore by the Port Officer. He was
accorded similar honors on arrival at and departure from Delhi, and was in all
matters treated as representing His Highness tho Sultan.
600. In spite of the severe cold the party kept good health and were able
to attend all the preordained functions and to enter heartily into other
pleasures during the progress of festivities, which they thoroughly appreciated
and enjoyed. Sayyid Taimur and his companions had an interview with His
Excellency the Viceroy, taking with them a set of handsomo gold chnsed articles
of local pattern and workmanship which the Sultan had made for His Majesty
the King and which His Excellency tho Viceroy bad kindly undertaken to
have forwarded to their destination. During the interview Sayyid Taimur
delivered messages of congratulation and friendship from his father, and His
Excellenoy expressed his pleasure at being able to honor the occasion by the
piesentation to His Highness the Sultan of 2 guns as an armament for the
steamer which he had lately purchased, through the good offices of the Govern-
mont of India, for his own use.
601. Before the Darbar broke up the Government of India were pleased
to decorate Sayyid Taimur with the gold Delhi Darbar Coronation Medal.
602. After leaving Delhi on I2th January Sayyid Taimur and party
proceeded direct to Bombay, where a fortnight was spent while communications
passed with His Highness the Sultan regarding a proposed tour to Agra, Aligarh
and Calcutta. In the meanwhile, at his father’s wish Sayyid Taimur visited
his grand unole, Sayyid Abdul Aziz at Poona, and Sayyid Abdul Aziz subse­
quently journeyed to Bombay to return bis nephew’s visit. On 26th January
the party left for Agra where three days were spent seeing the sights of the
neighbourhood. Prom Agra a short excursion was made to Aligarh. Bayyid
Taimur having been invited by the Principal and Council to pay a visit to
the Sayyid Ahmed Mahomedan Anglo-Oriental College. A long morning
was spent there and the party were received with much kindness and distinc­
tion by the College authorities, and appeared to be greatly interested and
impressed by wlmt they said ; in the afternoon a start was made for Calcutta,
where another week was spent and various places of interest were visited, by the
end of which it was time to think of returning to Maskat, which was reached
safely on 18th Pebruary. It is oertoin that the whole party thoroughly enjoyed
thair tour, especially Sayyid Taimur, who displayed much intelligence and
good sense under tho novel surroundings, und there can be no doubt that
besides the pleasure which ho derived from what he saw both at Delhi and
* l'lii* uccouut ia ukou (tom ibc ilusku f /gvucy Adiuiu iatratiou Bepoit tor 110^*03,