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File 2830/1914 Pt 1 'Persian Gulf: Sponge Fisheries. Sponge Exploration Syndicate.' [‎37v] (79/488)

The record is made up of 1 volume (240 folios). It was created in 18 May 1905-11 Dec 1916. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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Arab tribes to pearl fisheries, it would, from a political point of view, be
wise to encourage Ilntish capital to finance concessions. As to wirue of
the sponge beds either on the Persian or Arabian we have no infor
mation at all; nor, as regards sponges reported to have been sent home
by Wonkhaus —vide enclosure to our letter of 11th April,—have we been
able to ascertain the result of examination in Germany. We consider
that, if Syndicate has proof of existence of profitable sponge beds, the
more British capital embarked in the venture the better. We may point
out that it may be possible for us, if necessary, to induce the Sultan to
refuse foreign companies admission on the Arabian shore, seeing that
syndicates are given no power of alienation under Muscat Concession.
Enclosure ISlo. 8 .
India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. to Foreign Office.
India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. ,
Sir, 16th July 1907.
In continuation of my letter of the 29th May, on the subject of
the concessions granted to the Sponge Exploration Syndicate by the
Persian Government and the Sultan of Muscat, I am directed by
Mr. Secretary Morley to enclose, to be submitted to the Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, copy of
* Dated 7th July 1907 (sent to Foreign teWram* from the Yicerov
Office 8th July). a telegram irom tne \ iceroy,
stating that the translation ol the
Muscat Concession forwarded with the letter from this Office of the
11th January 1906 is correct.
The Muscat Concession is thus not open to the objections based on
the translation furnished by the Concessionnaires which were expressed
in your letter of the 15th May, No. 14,782. But as regards the per
mission to fish for sponges “ to a distance of 10 miles in breadth,” to
which attention was called in that letter, it will be seen that the
Government of India agree that the Syndicate and the Sultan of Muscat
should be informed that His Majesty’s Government are unable to
recognise the right of the latter to confer such a privilege beyond
the limit of Muscat territorial waters ; and Mr. Morley proposes to
instruct the Government of India to inform the Sultan accordingly.
Ihe attention of Messrs. Russell and Arnholz will doubtless be called,
as proposed, in your letter of the 4th May, to the fact that the Muscat
Concession is for 15 years only and does not grant an exclusive right to
fish for sponges. The Persian Concession, it is observed, is for 50 years
and grants exclusive rights.
As regards the question raised in your letter of 4 th May last,
No. 15,605, whether it might not be desirable, since it is impracticable
to proeme the cancellation of the concessions, to encourage British
capital to take them up in order to obviate the danger of their falling
into the hands of foreigners, I am to refer to my letter of the 29th May
last. If the Company formed to work the concession is found to be
satisfactorily constituted, and to be willing to respect the policy of
non-mterference with the rights of the Arab tribes in the pearl fisheries,
on which stress was laid in the
Viceroy’s telegram of 22nd May,-
,1 V 11 1 -. pi Ain Morley would suggest that
t ey should be assured of due support by His Majesty’s Government in
tne legitimate exploitation of their concessions.
mi tt n o I &c.,
The Under Secretary of State, A. Godley.
Foreign Office.
* Enclosure to letter from India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors.
to Foreign Office, dated 29th May 1907.

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Content

The volume concerns the attempts of a British company called the Sponge Exploration Syndicate to obtain concessions for the fishing and exploitation of sponges in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . However, the papers indicate that it was felt by British officials that the real object of the company was to exploit the Gulf's pearl banks, which entailed the risk of infringing Britain's treaty obligations with the Arab states.

The principal correspondents are the Foreign Office; Major Percy Zachariah Cox, acting as Consul-General for Fars, Khuzistan etc., and Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; officials of the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. and the Government of India; the Viceroy of India (the Earl of Minto); and the Sponge Exploration Syndicate Limited.

The papers include: letters of application for concession rights from the company; the granting of a concession to the company by the Government of Persia; the granting of a concession to the company by the Sultan of Muscat; a report by the British Museum, on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. as a possible area for successful sponge fisheries (folios 175-176); the involvement of the company with the rulers of the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ; and the rights of British-protected Arabs. The volume also contains an Admiralty chart of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. on folio 50.

The French language content of the volume consists of an agreement on folios 129-131.

The date range gives the covering dates of the main items of correspondence. This is mainly dated 1905-09, with one item dated 1916. The correspondence also includes enclosures dated 1892 (folios 214-215).

Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, year the subject file was opened, subject heading, and list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 1).

Extent and format
1 volume (240 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 2830 ( Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. : Sponge and Pearl Fisheries) consists of two volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/456-457. The volumes are divided into two parts with each part comprising one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 242; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 2830/1914 Pt 1 'Persian Gulf: Sponge Fisheries. Sponge Exploration Syndicate.' [‎37v] (79/488), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/456, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038235550.0x000050> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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