Page 25 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

9
the differences between tho Ghafiri tribes of tbe Semmnyil Valley and (he Ahl-
Boxbur; but when the Ghafiri Sheikhs eamo to Masknt to receive tbe indemnity
which bad been agreed upon, tho Sultan declined to pay (ho full amount. The
Sheikhs refused to accept a reduction, and left Maskat feeding muoh aggrieved.
35. This refusal of (ho Sultan to abide by tho terms of tho decision which
it was understood he had authorised his 'Wnli to make, led to furthor trouble
and loss of life after tho close of tho yoar under report.
A peace was concluded hotwoon tho Harth and the Boni Jabir.
3G. A serious outbreak of hostilities in tho Semmayil valley, whioh, had it
occurred, would have probably entailed a
EiUrnal A., Juuo 1S91, No*. 133 —MG.
gonoral inter tribal war, was threatened
in 1891, the Ghafiri tribes having intimated to the Ahl-Boshar that they would
attack them after the JSed on April 8th. A sharp skirmish actually took
plaee betwcon the llinawis who woro supporting the Ahl-Boshar and the
Ghafiris, while small parties of tho Ahl-Boshar were on several occasions
attacked by tho Nidabiyoen, a seotion of the Ghafiri tribe. Further fighting
was, however, averted by the personal intervention of the Sultan, who succeeded
in effecting a settlement of the differences between tho tribes, and in induoing
them to agree to a formal peace.
37. In Hay, Sheikh Abdulla, son of Sheikh Saleh-bin-Ali, the Tamimeh
of the Harth, Sheikh Mohsin-bin-Amir Al-Harithi and Sheikh Amir-bin-
Salim, one of the Sheikhs of tho Beni-Bu Ilassan, arrived at Maakat in the
Sultan of Zanzibari S.S. Avoca, It was stated that they had been on a visit
to Zanzibar and had been received with great honour by the Sultan, who,
besides other valuable gifts, had presented thorn with three field-pieces and a
considerable supply of gunpowder.
38. Early in Juno there was serious rioting at Mattrah between some of the
Sidee servants of tho Khojah residents of that place and a party of Baluchis.
The opposing factions twice met in conflict on tho beach, and order was with
difficulty restored. On the 20th of tbe same month the inhabitants of Maskat
were greatly shocked to learn that Sayyid Fahad, the younger brother of the
Sultan, had on the previous night committed suicide. Sayyid Fahad had
recently been divorced from his wife, and it was supposed that his domestic
troubles had so weighed on his mind as to drive him to put an end to his exist­
ence. The Political Agent, on being informed of the sad occurrence, paid the
Sultan and his cider brother an official visit to express his sympathy with them
in their loss, and some days later, in obedience to instructions which had been
received from India, he personally conveyed to the two brothers a message of
condolence from His Excellcnoy the Viceroy. Towards the end of June it was
reported that Sheikh Hammood Al-Jahafi, who has been for many years a
fruitful source of trouble to the ruling power in Oman, was endeavouring to
excite disaffection in the interior, and that it was his intention to head a rising
against the Sultan. The report did not appear to gain much credence.
39. In August the Sultan received news of the murder of Sheikh Hilnl-
bin-Zahir of the Beni-IIina tribe by Seif-bin-Haraad, the eldest son of the late
Sayyid Hamad-bin-Soif-bin-Amir of the Yal-Bu-Said, who was "Wali of Nezwah
during the reign of Sayyid Turki. Revenge for the confiscation of the
property of his family by the murdered Sheikh was supposed to have been the
motive of the murderer who flod for refuge to the Beni-Riyam. At the
beginning of September Rashid-bin-TJzniz, the Wali of Semail, who had been
sent to Nezwah, reported to the Sultan that Sheikh Badr-bin-Hilal-bin-Zahir,
who was in possession of that town, was prepared to hand it over to His High­
ness if he would repair thither in person. It was at first the Sultan’s intention
to proceed to Nezwah; but on receiving later information which gave him
reason to doubt the sincerity of Shoikh Badr-bin-Hilal’s offer, he abandoned
the idea.
[C073FD]