Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 832922498

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-79587

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

Place of publication:: [London]

Publisher:: [The House of Commons]

Year of publication:: 1871

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XXIV, 242 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

168 APPENDIX TO REPORT FROM SELECT COMMITTEE Appendix, Xo. 8. * Government Selections, Persian Gulf, page 211. with regard to Muscat and Zanzibar, should the final arbitration of the Kio-ht Honourable the Governor General decide that the latter shall hereafter form a separate kino-dom. In the first place, I think it would be expedient, under such circumstances, tcT conclude separate treaties of commerce and agreements for the suppression of slavery with the rulers of both states, inasmuch as those now in force were entered into between the British Government and the late Syud Saeed as the paramount sovereign of the con joined provinces. Several important alterations would be required in the word inn- of those documents, and the occasion might be availed of to introduce any modification in the existing commercial treaty which the interest of British trade, as well on the east coast of Africa as at Muscat, may render desirable. Moreover, should Her Majesty’s Government concur in the recommendations which I submitted in my late report on the slave trade, the same opportunity might be taken to embody them in a formal aoreement for the effectual abolition of that traffic on the east coast of Africa, and within the terri tories dependent on Muscat. 64. My next suggestion is that, in the event of Muscat being permanently severed from Zanzibar, a proper and duly qualified British agent should be accredited to the ruler of the former state. I learn from the “ Persian Gulf” Government selections that a British Besident was appointed to Muscat in 1840, who was shortly after created a consul by the Home Government, and subsequently directed to establish his consulate at Zanzibar, where the Imam thenceforth principally resided.* By the tenor of the original appointment, it would seem that the Besident or Agent at Muscat was placed under the general superintendence of the Besident of the Persian Gulf; but I ani not aware how the removal of the former to Zanzibar affected that arrangement.’ The Govern ment, however, appears thereafter to have been represented at Muscat by a native Jew a very good man, I understand, in his way, but perfectly unfitted, both from want of social status and general capacity, to occupy such a position. This person, I believe, was required to correspond on all matters affecting British interests, as well as on the current political affairs of the country, with the Government of Bombay, the Besident in the Persian Gulf, and with his immediate superior, the British Agent at Zanzibar ; never theless, the man himself being unable to write, was obliged to employ an Arab to indite his letters. Such was the state of our representative relations with Muscat until a few months ago, when Lieutenant Chester, of the Indian Navy, held the post for a short time and subsequently Mr. Hormuzd Bassam, one of the Assistant Politicals at Aden was put in temporary charge of the British Agency at that place. ' 65. There is valid ground for believing that many of the fierce contests which have parties in Oman, and among the tribes bordering on the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf, might have been restrained had there been a British representative on the spot with sufficient authority and judgment to exercise a salutary influence over them. The Agent at Muscat, even had he been so qualified, was not empowered to act and the time which necessarily elapsed before instructions could be received from the Besident at Bushire must have been a serious drawback on his efficiency, I am further of opinion that the late serious misunderstandings between Syud Thoweynee and Syud Majeed might have been prevented in a great measure had there been a discreet and com petent British Agent at Muscat capable of affording timely advice to the former 4s it was. Ins Highness, of course, disdained to consult Hezkiel the Jew ; and Captain Jones', the Besident at Bushire, if in every other respect fit and acceptable to the sovereign, was at too great a distance to effect any good. As in some measure a fair proof of the truth of the foregoiiig remarks, I may instance the fact that, since Mr. Bassam took up his resi dence at Muscat, no disturbances whatever have occurred among the tribes of Oman and those which were rife at the period of his arrival have been arrested. 66. Under any circumstances, therefore, it appears to me that an officer of becoming ^spectabiiity and of jiroper qualifications should be appointed to the agency at Muscat. But such an arrangement will almost be indispensable in the event of that state beino- permanently separated from Zanzibar. Muscat will then cease to be what it had virtually become, a mere dependency since the late Syud Saeed fixed his abode at Zanzibar. It vill be the residence of an independent sovereign, and the seat of the government of Oman, exercising considerable influence, for good or for evil, over a large poition of Arabia, including the western shores of the Persian Gulf; besides which, our commercial interests in that quarter call for such a provision on the part of the Government. There is a large trading community of British-Indian subjects within the territories of Muscat * that town itself has become a station for the electric telegraph ; and it seems hio-hlv probable that regular communication by steamers will shortly be established between Bombay and the Persian Gulf, viâ Muscat, which will give an increased stimulus to the trade of those countries. 67. These considerations will, I hope, induce the Honourable the Governor in Council to recommend the appointment here suggested. It is to be regretted that Mr. Bassam who was originally engaged for Aden, is not available for the post. He "respectfully declines to remain permanently at Muscat ; and arrangements will, I trust, be made by Government to relieve him as soon as practicable. Moreover, Mr. Bassam is urgently required at Aden, where his services hitherto have been eminently useful ; I had almost said indispensable. The difficulty, perhaps, will be to find a competent successor; for the Agent at Muscat should be well acquainted with the Arabic language; have some know ledge

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

Monograph

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation