"تقرير عن إدارة المقيمية السياسية في الخليج العربي والوكالة السياسية في مسقط لسنة ١٨٨٣-١٨٨٤." [ظ‎‎٤‎٩] (١٦٦/٣٨)

36
administbation ebpokt of the peesian gulp political
Colonel Hamerton remained to support them neither Khalid nor the other leading Arabs would
C " ,e l"! tkelTapproval and aoceptauee of Sa'eed's words the Arabs present all kissed Colonel
Hamerton 's hand ind promised loyal compliance. Sa'ced then embarked m the A fngate
on The 18th, and, bidding a reluctant adieu to the children and relat.ves he was never to see
affain sailed for Muscat, where he arrived about a month later.
' 0 Two months after Sa'eed's departure Captain Fremantle, H M. S. who bad been sent
on a mission to obtain the cession by purchase of the Koona Moona Islands, on wh.ch were
valuable guano deposits, arrived at Zanzibar. The French had on several occas.ons endeavoured
to get possession of the guano, but their negociations had always failed. Cap an lemantle s
efforts, however, were more successful. Having proceeded on to Muscat, he had no sooner
intimated the desire of the Government to acquire the islands than Sa eed, at once refusing the
offer of purchase, agreed to their transfer, and made them over hy a deed of gift, dated 14th
July 1851.
One of the first acts of Sa'eed on his arrival at Muscat had been to appoint his fifth son,
Toorkee, as Wali of Sohar, a post which he continued to hold for some years.
The breach between Sa'eed and the Persian Government, most probably with design on the
part of the latter, gradually widened and culminated at length in the expulsion of Sa eed s
Wali and troops from Bunder Abbass. This district had been conquered in 1798 from the
Beni Maeen by Sultan, and had since been uninterruptedly held in farm from Teheran for an
annual rental of 6,000 tomans. Highly incensed at the proceedings of Persia, Sa'eed equipped
an expedition and despatched it under Thoweynee to Bunder Abbass, which was soon re-occupied.
Fresh troops, however, were marched down from Shiraz, and, reinforced by these, the Persian
commander again expelled the Arabs, and Sa'eed, after an ineffectual blockade, was compelled
to abandon the hope of recovering his supremacy over the Persian coast by force of arms.
Negociations were then opened, and a convention was eventually concluded in April 1856, by
which the lease was renewed to Sa'eed by the Shah for 20 years at an increased rental of 16,000
tomans under several stringent conditions, which were very derogatory to Sa'eed's pride.
Unfavourable as the terms were, however, Sa'eed gladly accepted them rather than relinquish
the farm, and he at once retook charge of Bunder Abbass and appointed a Wali and customs
farmer to resume control over the territory.
At this time the relations between England and Persia were greatly strained in conse
quence of the occupation of Herat by the latter, and war was known to be imminent. Sa'eed,
however, did not wait to witness the denouement. One reason for this was, perhaps, his dis
appointment at not receiving more countenance and support from the British Government in
his quarrel about Bunder Abbass, but a more cogent reason was his precarious state of health,
which made him impatient to get back to his home at Zanzibar. He stayed in Muscat there
fore only until the change of the monsoon enabled him to turn his face southwards, and then,
having appointed his son Thoweynee his Deputy in Arabia, he set sail on the 15th September
in the Victoria frigate, accompanied by his son Barghash in the Artemise.
Nature seems to have warned the aged prince of his approaching end. Before embarking
he took a final and affectionate farewell of his old mother Ghannee, and said he felt confi
dent he would see her no more. He was particular in having a number of planks taken on
boar-d the Victoria, and gave orders that in the event of any one dying on the voyage a coffin
was to be made and the body placed therein. On no account was it to be thrown into the sea.
After touching at Soor to transact business, Sa'eed continued his voyage, but on the 18th Sep
tember was taken ill with swelling of the legs and thighs; he continued to grow gradually
worse until the 13th October, when dysentery set in, and on Sunday the 19th, at 8| a.m ., his
life passed quietly away.
The Victoria was passing Coctivi Island at the time, and six days after arrived off Chumba
Island in Zanzibar harbour, where she anchored with the Artemise. In obedience to Sa'eed's
wishes, the Captain, Hilal-bin-Abdulla, had on his master's decease enclosed the body in a coffin,
and immediately on news of the sad event being communicated to Seyyid Majid at Zanzibar,
preparations were made for the burial.
The corpse was landed the same night, and in presence of the sons and Arab notables was
interred in the little cemetery near the palace, where a plain horizontal slab of white marble
without inscription now marks the grave of 'Oman's famous prince.
At the age of 66 years and 7 months, and after a reign of nearly 50 years, Sa'eed thus
closed a career which can only be described as remarkable. Left an orphan when a mere youth,