File 1855/1904 Pt 6 'Koweit:- Status of Koweitis in Persia.' [‎273r] (55/154)

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Revemie Steamer Muzaffer overtook a Persian sailing vessel off Maghoo (near
Lingah) which had among her cargo 20 cases vermicelli and one case contain
ing 17 compasses and 6 yards broad-cloth on board for him, examined the
vessel’s cargo, demanded a Customs pass which not being forthcoming 1 case
vermicelli and the case of compasses and broad-cloth were removed from her.
Yusuf stated that the goods were consigned to him from Karachi in a Bahrein
boat and were to be transhipped at Bahrein for Koweit, but that on the Nakhoda
of the Bahrein boat finding near Basidu a Persian boat bound for Koweit, they
were transhipped to her at sea. It was after this transhipment that the
Muzaffer met the boat bound for Koweit. The Nakhoda of this dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. is a
resident of Koweit, but a Persian subject, as also were the crew.
On the matter being represented by the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. to the Director-General
cf Customs, Bushire, he replied as follows■
“ On the 1st July last, on our way to Cherek, we came across a big boat
flying the Persian flag. Having stopped the boat we learned that it belonged
to Haji Mahomed Dilomy. Prom the statements which Khalifa bin Abdulla,
• Moses Khan, Armenian .seUtant. tlle i n ?P heW , ^6 said Haji Mahomed,
made m reply to my * questions, it resulted
that the boat came from Khamir, a Persian port, near Bunder Abbas, where she
had been to sell her cargo of wheat and barley. The Nakhoda declared now to
have on board 20 cases vermicelli and 13 bags dried beans shipped at Khamir
for Dilom. In searching the boat we found the statement regarding the quantity
of the goods correct. To my demand to produce the Customs Cabotage Jowaz,
the Nakhoda replied that the documents were sent to Dilom by post. This
kind of proceeding appearing to me very strange, I demanded that two cases
vermicelli and one bag beans should be deposited as a guarantee with us and to
be released on presentation of the necessary documents. As to the box of 17
compasses and 6 yards broad-cloth, we did not see any of them on board the
said boat.”
The above answer was communicated to 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. , Koweit, who
informed Sheikh Mubarak of it. Sheikh Mubarak thereupon sent the Nakhoda
of the vessel and Yusuf-el-Haris to 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. , who took down their
statements. The Nakhoda declared that the Muzaffer confiscated the boxes
containing vermicelli, broad-cloth and compasses, but his unsupported statement
alone will not be accepted by the Customs, and although endeavours have since
been made to obtain corroboration from the crew of the vessel and from the
Nakhoda of the Bahrein vessel from which the goods were transhipped, so far
we have been unable to find them, and Yusuf-el-Haris was not himself present
when the goods were transhipped.