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.

202 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 pro ceed 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 High ness will probably proceed to coerce him. He did not distinctly avow such to be his in tention, 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 satis faction 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 satis faction 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 pro tection, 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 ad dressed 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 Appen dices, marked severally 2, 3, and 4. 10. Syud Thoweynee was much gratified with the presents sent to him by the Govern ment, 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 opportu nity 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

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