'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎59r] (128/208)

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Sair or Sajir. At Rakhiout (17° 15' south by
53° 25' east), a place near this point, the Sultan's
Wali has built a fort. It is situate somewhat
to the west of Merbat, the port assigned ou
the French official map as the southern limit
of Oman, and at the western limits of the territory
of Dhofar, referred to on p. 35 of the French
Case. The position of Hakhiout, as ascertained
by Mr. Bent, the last European traveller who has
visited that region, is indicated on the map
annexed to t}iis Counter-Case.
From Hakhiout up to and beyond the town of
Muscat, the coast - line is continuously and
admittedly under the sovereignty of the Sultan
of Muscat. Siir, the district in which most of
the French proteges reside, is somewhat to the
north and west of Ras-el-Hadd, the easternmost
point of Arabia. North and west of the town
of Muscat the coast-line is under the undoubted
dominion of the Sultan, so far as Khor Kalba.
The maps in the French Case also assign to the
Sultan all the coast-line of Arabia, from Khor
Kalba up to Bahrein, and it is suggested that
Great Britain has since 1862 deprived the Sultan
of Muscat of his authority over the coast. This
suggestion is made in ignorance or disregard of
the history of the c ast in question. The Island
of Bahrein is coloured as part of Oman in Kiepert's
map of 1850. In 1779 it was conquered by the
Uttoobee tribe, by whom it has ever since been
held under allegiance at one time to Muscat,
and afterwards successively to the Wahabees, to
Turkey, and to Persia, and now it is independent.
G-reat Britain has had Treaties with Bahrein from
1820 to 1861, all of which are prior to the Anglo-
French Declaration. Since that date Great
Britain has had further Treaties with Bahrein.
The peninsula of El Katr, wrongly described as
Bahrein in Kiepert's map, has never been subject
to Oman, and has always been held by Arab
tribes.
Starting from El Odeid, the coast to the south
and east up to a point where the mountains come
down to the sea between Tibba (Tibat) and
Sha'am or Shuam, known as the Pirate [coast,
has been and is in the hands of six Chiefs. In
order to put an end to piracy in the Persian
Gulf, and to open it to commerce. Great Britain,
so far back as 1806, commenced operations
against the Maritime Chiefs of the Pirate coast,
and against the Chief of Bahrein. In 1820
Treaties were also concluded with the Chiefs, who