ملف رقم ٦٠٠ لسنة ١٩٠٥ الجزء ٦ "المنطقة الداخلية لعدن: يافع العليا؛ معاهدات مع السلطان قحطان وزعماء آخرين" [ظ‎‎٧‎٨] (٢١٢/١٥٢)

2
the people would have to do the best they could for themselves. We should
have the Sharifs and Sayads denouncing us, and undermining our influence,
instead of supporting it, and the advantages which we nope to irain by laying
down a boundary line to the desert would, I believe, be largely discounted.
5 From a geographical point of view also, the outer limits of Behan-al
Kasab are the natural border, in continuation of the districts dependent on Heda,
and they appear to be within the line drawn north-east from Lakamat-as-Shuh,
to which the Turkish Government have agreed as representing the general run
of the frontier in that region.
6 Of course our knowledge of the geography of the country is vague, and
we have no certain information of the actual location of the various tribes.
But it is at least reasonably cetrain that Behan-al-Kasab, or by far the greater
part of it, lies within the north-east line of the Turks; and secondly, that the
exclusion of the district would have a very undesirable effect.
7. The Government of India, in their telegram to the Secretary of State for
India of 29th April 1903, said: “ We have always contemplated that it would be
necessary to include in our protectorate
* Behan*ai-Kasab. Beda an(i £ ower l$ehan,* which is under-
stood to be under Aulaki protection." In his reply of 4th May the Secretary of
State authorised the negotiation of treaties with the Upper Aulaki, including
if necessary, Lower Behan and Beda. Personally I have from the first felt
assured of the advisability of including Behan-al-Kasab in the British 1 rotee-
torate • but I have had doubts as to whether a separate treaty should be made
with the Chief: first because it seemed possible that the district would be
covered by a treaty with the Aulaki Sultan ; and, secondly because, that Chiet
mio-ht perhaps feel aggrieved at our concluding an independent treaty with
Behan-al-Kasab, at least without his consent. The opportunity which presented
itself was one that would probably not occur again in the same very favourable
form The Beda treaty has hung fire, and that with the Sultan of N isab
is not yet coneluded. The British Ambassador at Constantinople is anxious, 1
understand, that we should be in a position, as we cannot at present demarcate
the boundary from the Sana to the desert, to notify to Turkey where we
consider that boundary to lie. For this purpose treaties with the Chiefs included
in the protectorate, and a better acquaintance with their territories are required.
Both these objects appeared to me to be served by the conclusion of a treaty with
Sharif Ahmad, and I therefore acted on the general sanction contained in the
Secretary of State’s telegram of 4th May 1903.
8 Mr. Bury is of opinion, from what he knows of the Aulaki Saltan, and
the politics of that region, that the treaty with Sharif Ahmad will not be
seriously objected to at Nisab.
9 The treaty is now forwarded for ratification, if approved. It will be
seen that it is purely a protectorate treaty following the one given to the
Lower Yaffai Sultan in 1895. No mention of a stipend is made in it, but 1
promised Sharif Ahmad to recommend him for a stipend of thirty dollars per
mensem ; and as he is likely to be a faithful and useful ally, I hope the Gov-
ernment of India will be pleased to sanction this allowance.
10 I would venture to suggest that, if the treaty meets with the approval
of Government, its ratification, and that of the treaty with Sheikh Mohsin bin
Farid, the Upper Aulaki Chief of Yeshbum, should not be long delayed. I am
of opinion that, in this case, it is desirable that the treaties should be
announced, and the payment of the stipends commenced, as soon as possible.
G. I. C. P. 0.—So. 3730 P. D.— 12-2»1901i.—64.—J. N. S.