'MEMORANDUM. Grant of French Flags to Muscat Dhows.' [‎1v] (2/8)

time, French ships' papers and flags to subjects
of tlie Sultan of Muscat, and the same course has
been taken by the French Consuls at Aden,
Muscat, and Zanzibar. Most of the Omanis who
thus received French papers belonged to the dis
trict of Jalani and the town of Sur, within Muscat
territories. These men were neither of French
nationality nor naturalization; they had no
authority from their Sultan no change their alle
giance, and they had no permanent residence or
settlement in French territory, but merely paid
fleeting visits thereto for the purpose of renewing
their licences.
Many of these flagholders engaged in the Slave
Trade. Moreover, on returning to the waters and
territory of Muscat, they claimed that the Sultan
was not entitled to board or search their vessels,
or to exercise any jurisdiction over them, and that
they were entitled to be treated as French proteges,
and to be exempt from his laws as regards cus
toms, quarantine, and other matters.
The Sultan of Muscat never admitted that the
grant of French flags or papers was warranted by
Treaty or usage, and made repeated protests on
the subject. He appealed to His Majesty's
Government, who on several occasions made
representations to the French Government. In
1899 His Highness visited Sur, and persuaded
the French flagholders to sign, an undertaking
to give up their papers. Four sets of papers
were actually surrendered and were sent to
the French Consul, but he declined to receive
them. The question formed the subject of
further discussion between the British and
French Governments, and, in June 1900, the
French Ambassador in London gave an assurance
that from that date no fresh papers would
be issued to Muscat subjects. There matters
rested until they were brought to a head by two
incidents which occurred in 1903.
A French flagholder named Mubarak, a subject
of the Sultan, in order to avoid a fine levied on
the town of Sur, persisted in taking his dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. out
of the harbour in spite of orders to the contrary.
The vessel was fired upon, and a shot went
through its flag. The French Consul made this
incident the ground for a claim on the Sultan for
an indemnity of 1,500 dollars. The claim was
challenged by the British Consul, and was with
drawn or postponed,