'Administration Reports 1905-1910' [‎192r] (388/616)

, AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. FOR THE YEAR 1908. T-
Early in December, a badan carrying 100 rifles with ammunition was
boarded by one of H. M. ships, but the cargo had been jettisoned before she
was overhauled. Shortly afterwards Persian customs officials in the
launch Mazanderan captured a dinghy containing 12 rifles and 500 rounds
of ammunition. The Nakhoda who was captured was fined R250 and beaten
before being released. This is the sum total of successes.
On the other hand, during the nine months under report, according to
information procured here, about 18,000 rifles with 100 rounds of ammuni
tion per rifle left Maskat for Mekran. According to information received
by the telegraph authorities on the Mekran Coast a total of 16,375 rifles were
landed with about 2,000,000 rounds of ammunition, and also a consignment
of 500 revolvers.
Exports to Gulf ports. —In August, two British India mail steamers
were searched for arms by H. M. S. Sphinx in Maskat harbour and a few
concealed weapons were found which were supposed to be destined for
Koweit. Major Cox informed the Government of India that this course of
action, if persevered in, would, in all probability, have a prejudicial effect on
the ^menableness of the Sheikh of Koweit and the Sultan of Maskat. As
no practical harm would result from temporary inactivity, since the traffic
to Koweit did not immediately affect British interests. Major Cox asked the
Senior Naval Officer to suspend activity pending intimation of the wishes of
the Government of India. The Government of India approved the Resident's
action. The arms which were seized were made over to His Highness the
Sultan for disposal.
According to information procured here about 16,000 rifles with 100
rounds per rifle were exported to Koweit, while 2,020 rifles went to other Gulf
ports, Katr, Ras-el-Jebal and Abu Dhabi. Two hundred rifles and ammuni
tion were also said to have been exported to Dhofar.
Traffic with Somaliland. —In December 1907, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. was
informed that the Italian Government proposed to send an Agent to Maskat
to organise a service of information regarding the contrabandf trade in arms
between Maskat and Italian Somaliland. The Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. was instructed
to afford the Agent any facilities he might require. In January 1908, the
Italian Government intimated that it was their intention to found, a regular
official Consular Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. at Maskat and asked for the co-operation locally
of the British Government both with reference to the Agent s ordinary duties
and as regards the arms traffic. At the instance of His Majesty s Govern
ment, the Italian Government agreed to defer action in the matter until the
result of the Brussels Arms Trade Conference, then sitting, was made known.
In October, the Italian Government again represented the necessity ot
sending an Agent to Maskat, in view of the fact that there was little prospect
of an early settlement of the arms trade question^ They stated that this
mission would have no political aim, but would furnish valuable informationt
and, in the circumstances, was the only means available to them for checking
the important arms traffic between Maskat and Somaliland, where the atti
tude of the Mullah made the matter urgent. . ^ ^ ^ ,
In the meantime, however, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Captain McConaghey,
had been taking steps locally to prevent the exDort of arms to Somaiilan .
On learning that some Somali dhows had arrived in Oman waters he made
three trips in H. M. S. Sphinx along the Oman and Trucial Coasts ana
collected the papers of 14 dhows explaining to the Nakhodas that the papers
would be returned before they left Oman waters, provided that the cargo ot
the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. was found in each case to contain no illicit arms. e s
gathered at Sur on their return journey and the papers of all but one which
had gone on ahead, were returned to the Nakhodas there, after searc . -
formation regarding the one that had gone on ahead was telegrap e . j O
Aden for such further action as might be necessary.
The Italian Government were informed in November 1908 of the steps
which had been taken locally by British Officers, and it was suggested to
them that the objects they had in view would be much better served by
unobtrusive despatch, of a trustworthy native informer than bv app oin ting
a Consular representative. The Italian Government accepted the view and
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