"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٥‎٥‎١] (١٧٨٢/٦٩٤)

551
(1) Masqat and Matrah should be annexed and the Sultan pensioned, or
(-2) that a Britisli protectorate over 'Oman should be declared, or (3) that
it should be intimated to the leading Shaikhs of 'Oman that, whatever
differences they might have with their Sultan, the British Government
would not, in view of the importance, of British interests at those places,
permit attacks upon Masqat and Matrah.
The Government of India themselves favoured the proposal for a pro- ^fety^
tectorate; but, realising that it might not be prudent to open negotia- Matrah g aa .
tions with France for the withdrawal o£ the Deelaratkm of 1862, they ranterfby
recommended the third course, which was m fact a slight modification ot Government,
the policy observed during the preceding reign. The Secretary of State
for India having signified his support, in case the assent of France to a
British protectorate over 'Oman should be unobtainable, of this proposal,
it was adopted by Her Majesty's Government, and the Resident m t e
Persian Gulf was authorised to communicate the decision to the Sultan or
notification to the Shaikhs of 'Oman; at the same time the Sultan was to
be made to understand that he was not absolved from taking propel an
necessary measures for his own defence. The Sultan, who had more than
once hinted that he considered the British Government to have failed
in their duty to him, received the announcement with a coldness w ic
had not been expected, and even affected to treat it as a mere matter ot
course. He also demurred, on the ground of expense, to o ing a
Darhar for the purpose of making the orders of Governmen ^neia y
known j and in lieu thereof a written notification, a . £te1 ' J tS "'fj
heen approved by the British Political Resident, was circulated J
the leading men of the country at the end of 1895. uruv, "t
In 1896 two 6i-inch mortars with ammunition were piesentod to t e 18 'J 6 .
Sultan by the Government of India as an addition to £
defence; and in the same year an offer of naval a»bis ance ^
him, as will be seen in the history of Dhufar, for the P"? 0
ing that province, which had revolted; but it was at tirs gjitish pro-
The hostility of Saiyid Faisal ^
that, in June 1896, the Viceroy of India, Loid Wgin, s g D ^ ^ ^
gram that advantage might lie taken of ^otectorate over rflST
the assent of the French Government o a .. .. 1896.
'Oman ; the reply, however, was that the Foreign^
predated the importance of trying to seem e a pi , Iu 1897
the measure could not be successfully accomplished at the tun . ^ ^ ^
the Sultan requested British aid for the gratitude
evident that he did so with reluctance, c