File 4949/1912 Pt 5 Persian Gulf: Abu Musa oxide [‎21r] (41/592)

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Appendix 8.
Form 3.
Question put regarding the Jurisdiction and Ownership of Abu Musa Island, and the
manner of the exercise of Bights of jetsam and flotsam on the Islands of
the Gulf.
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
As you are an Arab merchant of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and familiar with the traditions
of the past and the rights of the Arab sheikhs in regard to the coast and islands in the
Gulf, what is your opinion on the following points :—
1. The islands of Bu Musa and Sir Bu Nuair, to the jurisdiction of which sheikh do
they belong and in which sheikh are the rights of ownership vested ?
2. The light to jetsam and flotsam in the islands, by whom is it exercised?
Answer.
Iu the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Firstly, I am familiar with the matters about which you ask me. It is well known
amongst the Arabs of the Gulf that the islands of Bu Musa and Sir Bu Nuair are
islands belonging to the territories of the Kawasims of Oman and that their owner is the
ruling sheikh of the Kawasims who resides at Shargah and who is at present Saerar-bin-
Khaled-bin-Sultan.
Secondly, as regards the question of jetsam and flotsam, it is always taken at the
time by the inhabitants of the scene of the.wreck and when the chief comes to
know of it, he is entitled to take a share; sometimes he takes it and sometimes he
forgoes it, as he may deem fit.
(Signed and sealed) ALI-BIN-ABDULLAH-BEHZAD, of Keis.
(A well known and reliable merchant of the Keis Island)
Answers in a similar sense also recorded by :—
Haji-Isa-bin-Saleh, resident of the Keis Island;
(A well-known and reliable merchant of the Keis Island.)
Haji-Muhammad-bin-Hydar, resident of Keis ;
^ (A well-known and reliable merchant of the Keis Island.)
Haji-Isa-bin-Hussein-Janam;
(A well-known and reliable merchant of the Keis Island.)
Muhammad-bin-Ahmed, resident of the Keis Island;
(A well-known merchant and notable of Keis.)
Ali-bin-Muhammad-Abdul-Wahid-el-Marzooki;
(A notable of Bustaneh.)
Abdullah-bin-Ali-el-Marzooki, resident of Hasineh ;
(A notable of Hasineh.)
Hassan-bin-Abdul-Bahim ;
(A notable of Hasineh.)
Ali-bin-Abdullah-bin-Muhammad-el-Marzooki;
(A notable of Hasineh.)
Muhammad-bin-Hassan-el-Meithoomi-el-Marzooki;
(A leading merchant of Bustaneh.)
Appendix 0.
Bote by Khan Bahadur Abdul Latif giving history of the rejected Preliminary Draft
of the Oxide Concession and explaining the reason of its rejection.
With reference to the translation which you have shown to me of what purports to
be a rejected preliminary draft, dated the 6th April, 1898, of the oxide concession
executed on the 10th April, 1898, I beg to make the following observations :—
I note that the document purports to be signed by (l) Hassan-bin-Ahmed and (2)
Ali Ahmed Saleh. * J w \ )
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