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APPENDIX TO EEPOET EEOM SELECT COMMITTEE
Appendix, No. 8,
aspirations to promoting the prosperity of his own suhjeets and kingdom, leaving the
future in the hands of Providence. The caution was well received, and his Highness
expressed himself pleased with my explanation.
6. I had several interviews with his Highness respecting Sohar, and the decision of the
Government on the claims of Syud Toorkee was highly satisfactory to him. By all
accounts that prince has entirely alienated the aifections of the population from him, and
a deputation of the principal inhabitants had lately come to Syud Thoweynee entreating
him to relieve them from his intolerable oppression. It is notorious that he has become
a confirmed drinker, and common report charges him with the most wanton conduct
towards the wives and daughters of the townspeople. To arrest, if possible, the progress
of his tyranny, Mr. Rassam had intended visiting Syud Toorkee in person, and his
Highness did not then object, although he entertained very slender hope that his brother
would reform and listen to reason. On the same ground, he recommended me not to proceed
to Sohar, urging, as an additional motive against it, that Syud Toorkee would not
hesitate to represent my visit as one of sympathy on the part of a special agent of the
British Government, and might succeed thereby in confirming his few adherents in their
contumacy. Judging that these arguments were not devoid of force, I relinquished the
idea of proceeding to Sohar, and dispatched the letter of his Excellency the Governor to
Syud Toorkee with an accompaniment from myself, a translation of which is attached to
this report. I have further requested Lieutenant Pengelley, on the arrival of the replies,
to forward them to Government by the first opportunity.
7. It is possible that on learning the decision of Government, as conveyed to him
through Sir George Clerk’s letter, Syud Toorkee may submit himself at once to Syud
Thoweynee, in which case his Highness has promised to treat him kindly, and to provide
for him elsewhere than at Sohar ; but should he persist in defying his authority, his Highness
will probably proceed to coerce him. He did not distinctly avow such to be his intention,
but it will be his only resource ; and as his suzerainty over Syud Toorkee has now
been fully recognised by Government, I did not feel warranted either in demanding
from him what his intentions were with regard to Sohar, or in dissuading him from what
I presume is his meditated purpose. Fortunately, the inhabitants of that place are quite
estranged from Syud Toorkee, and he has but few adherents either there or elsewhere.
On the other hand, most of the Arab tribes in the neighbouring districts, the Wahabees
included, are on the most friendly terms with Syud Thoweynee ; so that, in the event of
hostilities between the two brothers, the conflict will probably be of short duration, and
will not be likely to spread beyond the fortress of Sohar.
8. His Highness was much gratified to find that a responsible British officer had been
nominated to the agency at Muscat. The arrival of Lieutenant Pengelley, indeed,
seemed to relieve him of the apprehension that in losing Mr. Rassam, whose services
were highly appreciated by him, his dignity would again be lowered by the appointment
of a native Agent to represent our Government at his eapital. Another cause of satisfaction
to his Highness was that, by this arrangement, he trusts to be relieved in future
from what he considers the unwarrantable interference of the Resident at Bushire, and of
his native Agents in the Persian Gulf, with his sovereign prerogatives. The post is
becoming one of increased importance both in a commercial and political point of view,
and I trust that Lieutenant Pengelley will conduct the duties of the agency to the satisfaction
of Government. There is a resident Indian population, amounting to many
thousand British subjects, within his Highness’ territories, who are mostly engaged in
trade, and last year upwards of 150 vessels, either under British colours or British protection,
entered the port of Muscat alone. I find, moreover, that owing to the constant
communication kept up between Museat, Bunder Abbas, and the coast of Mekran, and
to the intimate commercial and social relations existing between those places (there are
several hundred Beloochees in the service of his Highness, among whom are some very
respectable men), Muscat is most eligibly situated for collecting information respecting
the progress of events eastward of the Persian frontier.
9. I transmit herewith the replies of his Highness Syud Thoweynee to the letters addressed
to him by the Right Honourable the Governor General and his Excellency the
Governor of Bombay. Having been authorised to open his Highness’ replies for the
purpose of translating them, I attach the English versions in the accompanying Appendices,
marked severally 2, 3, and 4.
10. Syud Thoweynee was much gratified with the presents sent to him by the Government,
and I feel assured that he will not be backward in reciprocating the courtesy.
11. My inquiries at Muscat and my conferences with his Highness detained me there
until the 18th ultimo, on which day the Zenobia ” left for Aden; but owing to strong
winds from the south-west she was unable to make a straight course, and did not reach
Aden until the evening of the 29th. By next mail steamer to Bombay I shall hope to
forward to Government the result of my inquiries at Muscat on the suggested line of
electric telegraph along the coast of Mekran, and shall avail myself of the same opportunity
to submit to the Honourable the Governor in Council several considerations of
importance regarding our past and present policy in the Persian Gulf, and the progress
of the Persians in Mekran and Beloochistan, considerations intimately connected with
the
