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boy, arrived in Maseirah Channel from the south reaching Ras Half, where
the occupants wore subsequently murdered and their valuables plundered.
Aftorwards some residents of Dawwa, hearing of the massacre, arrived on the
spot, and advised the residents of Ras Half and Jodufa to burn the boat and
a ll traces of tho crime, 'ibis was done, but insufficiently.
174. It was decided to let the Sultan deal with the delinquents, as it was
essential that he should assert his author­
Wd, No. SSL ity, and the Political Agent, Maskat,
was permitted to acquiesce in the pro­
posal of tho Sultan to shoot tho murderers on the scene of the massacre
and to hang their bodies on poles ns a warning to the Bedouins gonerally. He
was further authorised on 24th October 1904 to approve of the suggested im­
prisonment of tho principal residents of Dawwa and Um-ar-Rassas, and to
propose, as recommended—(a) the burning of tho village of Ras Half with
confiscation of any arras found ; (5) the deportation of the Sheikh of Um-ar-
Rassas ; (o) tho execution of the remaining murderers, about 10 in number, on
arrest; and (<d) the stationing of a guard of Maskat soldiers by the Sultan on
the island for tho protection of nativo craft and othor vessels, as a previous case
of brigandage has been reported in which a number of Bedouins spent the
monsoon at Ras Half on purpose to plunder any boats or Bughlas that may be
wrecked on tho shore. The Political Agent, on enquiry made by the Secretary
of State, as to whether it would bo practicable to secure monetary compensation
for the relatives ol the murdered mon, suggested the recovery of a line from
the Jcnnebeh Sheikhs at Sur, and from others concerned. It was thought that
by this means a sum of £500 might be recovered. The wrecked vessel was
salved and transferred to her owners. She-arrived at Perim on the 23rd October
1904.
675. The Political Agent left Maskat in H.M. S. Merlin for Maseirah
on 3rd November to witness the execution of the murderers already secured out
of those concerned in tho massacre of a party of survivors from the S. S. “ Baron
Inverdale. ” Accompanying him in the Sultan’s steamer were Sayyid Taimur
and Mahomed-bin-Said, with about 70 Arab sepoys. The Sultan himself
did not go. The programme actually carried out differed slightly from that
originally approved owing to the Sultan’s feeling having been worked upon
by letters received from various Sheikhs, in which tho writers begged him to
deal as leniently as possible with the criminals. The party first proceeded to
Dawwa, arriving there about mid-day on the 4th instant, in hopes of securing
the culprit, who was believed to be still on the island, but failed to find him. The
next morning they burnt the village of Ras Half, some 2J miles distant. Stone
masons erected two monuments, one to act as a perpetual reminder to the tribes
of punishment which overtook the perpetrators of a certain crime, and the
second over the graves of the unfortunate victims of the massacre. The Arab
escort proceeded to the flur-ul-Bahr, and returned with the criminals. A com­
pany of sailors from H. M. S. Merlin having first been brought ashore to
witness the execution, in order to make the sceue more impressive and to en­
dorse the intimate relations which exist between the Sultan and His Majesty’s
Government, the prisoners were shot, and their bodies thrown into a grave
already prepared, without the U3ual attentions or funeral rites. The Arabs
then returned to their vessels, before party re-embarked. They returned to
Maskat on the 7th November.
675. As regards the suggested recovery of a fine from the tribes, members
of wliioh were concerned in the Maseirah
Ibid, No. 409.
incident, tho Political Agent explained (1st
November) that they belonged to different tribes as detailed below :—
Thou in custody. Those still at larye.
I. Jenneboh (Ghafiri)—
S (1) A1 Favaria Nil,
2 (2) A1 Gbialeon 6
1 II. A1 Bu Esa (Ghafiri) 2
3 III. A1 Saad (Ilinavi) 2
9 10

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