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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 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