'File No. II/9 Foreign Dept Memoranda of Information re. affairs in Persian Gulf, Maskat & Arabian Shore of the Persian Gulf. Nov '07 - Dec '08.' [‎30v] (62/132)

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on the 1st April, again pressed for an
estimation of the weight of the oxide lying
inland at the mines, but Major Cox replied
that his negotiations with the Sheikh had only
governed the 2,000 odd tons lying on the
beach, and that lie could not guarantee the
safe operation of the steamer, if any access to
the mines were permitted. The latest news was
that the amount of oxide lying on the beach
was nearer 3,000 than 2,000 tons and that the
present steamer would not be able to remove
it all.
On the same date, the Secretary of State
for India telegraphed that it was necessary, in
view of communications made to Berlin, to
permit the removal of all the oxide which had
been excavated, and that Major Cox should
arrange for the work of cleaning, bringing
the mineral to the shore, &c., without prejudice
to the ultimate settlement. He enquired
whether these arrangements could not be ex
tended to provide for the contemplated supply
of oxide to Messrs. Wonckhaus in 1908-09.
The 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. , who was consulted,
replied that, in the first place, the knowledge
that the oxide near the mine was to be re
moved by Hassan or Messrs. Wonckhaus
would alarm Esa-bin-Abdul Latif and !Nejef-
bin-Nakhuda Ali, and would probably throw
the last named into the arms of Mr. Brown.
He asked whether he might give them an
assurance that the British Government would
guarantee payment of the sum due on their
shares, if their right to a share of the value
of this oxide was subsequently proved.
Secondly, Major Cox enquired whether
His Majesty’s Government, in mentioning an
extension of the arrangement for the
supply of oxide, contemplated further mining
operations. Anything in the latter direction
was, in his opinion, to be deprecated, until
all the mineral then lying at the mouth
of the mine had been transported to the sea
coast and weighed. As soon as the ground
around the mine had been cleared of the
mineral in dispute, mining might, it w r as
considered, be commenced under new manage
ment.
Thirdly, he pointed out that instructions
as to the institution of a suit against Hassan
by Esa and Nejef had not been received by
him, and he apprehended that almost all the
account books w r ould have been falsified.
He also reported that Abdullah-bin-
Hassan had given out that he had been
appointed an Agent for the German firm on
the '1 rucial Coast, where German ships would
call in future. Major Cox did not, however,
anticipate that Abdullah would be allowed by
the Chiefs to remain in their territories.