File 4949/1912 Pt 4 ‘Abu Musa – Angelegenheit. 1907.’ [‎253v] (508/528)

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No. 4.
Sheikh Sagar-hin-Khalid to Resident, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
(After compliments.) February 14, 1884.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated the 2nd
February, 18&4, per Mirza Abdul Kasim, and I understand its contents to the effect
that anyone attempting to break the maritime peace, whether lie he Salem or any
other people, shall be duly repressed. There is no doubt about this. But according
to what 1 have already said, I beg to tell you that Bu Musa is our island and a
dependency of Shargah. If Salem wants to live in it and guarantees that he will not
commit anything which would interfere with my affairs or disturb the maritime
peace, it matters not, because I cannot dispense with the Island of Bu Musa, as it is
of great use to me. I beg therefore you will plainly write to me on the subject, and
inform your agent of the same.
No. 5.
Sheikh Sagar-bin-Khalid’s Explanation of the Position in regard to Abu Musa,
dated February 22, 1908.
In reference to the Island of Abu Musa, it is well known to everybody that it is
the jwoperty of the Sheikhs of the Jowasim of Oman, and on that point there is no
doubt. As to the residence of my uncle in it, the facts of the matter are as explained
below:—
From olden days, from the time of my ancestors Sheikh Sultan and others, it was
their habit in the days of spring, after a fall of rain and the sprouting of vegetation,
to send their live-stock to the Island of Abu Musa for grazing, and also a number of
our subjects from Shargah and Khan habitually sojourned on the island during the
winter for fishing purposes, and had houses and huts there. In the year 1300 Hijri
Sheikh Salim, who was then ruling Chief of Shargah, after sending his live-stock there
as usual, went over to the island, and by the fate ordained by God the populace called
upon me to become their Buler in place of Sheikh Salim, and I accepted their call
and occupied the post of the Sheikhdom. It was then open to me to expel Sheikh
Salim from Abu Musa Island, and I addressed the Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. on
the subject in letters which must be available on your records; the first was dated the
22nd Babi-ul-Awal, 1301, and the second the 14th Babi II, 1301, but the Resident
pressed me to make a peaceable settlement so that there might be no cause for a
breach of the maritime peace. Accordingly we agreed that I would set apart for
Sheikh Salim a pension for his subsistence—every year 600 dollars. That settlement
afterwards became void by my not being able to pay the amount fixed, and subse
quently a second agreement was come to between us under which I was to pay him
yearly 400 dollars and also the income derived from the Island of Sir Abu Nuair,
which was expected to approach 200 dollars. This agreement also became void, and
in the year 1306 we made a third agreement with Sheikh Salim by the mediation of
the Government Agent, and in view of the fact that up to this agreement no income
had been obtainable from Sir Abu Nuair for Sheikh Salim, mention of the island was
omitted and his pension remained at the previous figure of 400 dollars, but I now
agreed to the return of Sheikh Salim to Shargah, and I took him into my service.
Then, later on in the year 1315, I went on the Mecca pilgrimage and appointed
Sheikh Salim to act for me in the Shargah Government, and on my return BTieikh
Salim informed me that he had been afforded an opportunity, and had seen it to our
interest, to lease the mines of Abu Musa to three persons subject to the British
Government. I did not repudiate it, and saw nothing objectionable in it, and so I
acquiesced in it; and seeing that Sheikh Salim had ceased not to complain that the
sum of 400 dollars was not sufficient for his subsistence, I voluntarily set aside the
amount of this rent for him, that it might make up his subsistence, so that the total
of what came in to him yearly might be 600 dollars as before, and over, and that no
cause of soreness might be left to him on account of the paucity of his allowance. I
have absolutely not given him any deed in connection with the island nor in regard to
the mines therein; all I did was to relinquish the income to him, in the way of
financial assistance from me to him, and it was done voluntarily and at my own
discretion. And I have not ceased in the days of spring in years when there has been