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‘Masqat Arms Traffic. 1908–1909.’ [‎42r] (88/128)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (60 folios). It was created in 1909. 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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47
Men who had landed their arms at Gabrig
and elsewhere, east of Jashk, had all ren
dezvoused at Zara vat. Our man knows
that two boat loads were left behind, as
the caravan refused to delay any longer,
but, excepting these, he believes that the
trade is over for the season.
The caravan. 9 . The caravan consisted of 1,100 camels
accompanied by about 400 men. Alto
gether there were about 700 Afghans and
frontier tribesman collected at Zaravat,
but 300 of these are returning by sea. 20
rifles with a proportional amount of ammu
nition (100 rounds for single loading and
400 rounds for magazine rifles) is the ordi
nary load per camel. But each man had
arranged to carry 1 J maunds of flour and
a 4 days’ supply of water in a mussak, this
and a certain amount of kit reduces the
average number of rifles to about 16 per
camel. As some of the Afghans had pur
chased extra amounts of ammunition and
a considerable number of pistols, our man
makes a further reduction on this account,
and calculates the total number of rifles
at 16,000 'flus about 2,000 pistols. As
regards the rifles I think this may be
looked upon as a moderate estimate, and
the number is not likely to be less than
this.
He divides'this number up into—
6.000 Martini-Henri rifles and carbines.
5.000 Martini-Metford rifles and carbines.
5,000 Rifles of the Snider era. These
are old cheap rifles, probably Gras
and Werndl.
In addition to the above he knows of
50 magazine rifles, 5 shot Mausers and
Mannlichers. He estimates the number
of pistols at 2,000 (mostly Mauser).
The caravan is going to march from
Zaravat by route No. 8 (green pamphlet)
crossing the Persian-Afghan frontier at
Sar-i-Shela, which they hope to reach in
about 50 days. They originally intended
to march via Bazman, but this plan was
afterwards dropped, as it was not considered
as safe as that now taken.

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Content

Bound volume containing two secret reports, both authored by Colonel Wilfrid Malleson (referred to as Division of the Chief of the Staff in the first report, and Assistant Quarter Master General for Intelligence in the second), and both issued by the Division of the Chief of the Staff in 1909.

The first report is entitled Statistics regarding the Masqat [Muscat] Arms Traffic (Revised.) (ff 4-16), and contains several appendices and fold-out tables giving details of: caravan routes along which arms trafficking is carried out on the Makran coast; total values of arms and ammunition imported into Muscat and other Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ports; importers and (European) exports of arms.

The second report is entitled Special Reports on the Masqat Arms Traffic, Season 1908-09 (ff 17-60), and comprises a number of reports on the arms trade through Muscat, submitted by ‘secret agents’, and a map illustrating the arms traffic from Muscat to Persia, Baluchistan and Afghanistan (f 59). The report also includes two appendices, lettered G and H. Appendix G is a letter (in French) dated 28 October 1907, from M Pick to Messieurs Malcom and Company of Muscate [Muscat]. Appendix H comprises lists (in French) of arms for sale, with prices given in French francs.

The voluime includes a map illustrating the Muscat arms traffic, dated 1909, indicating routes taken by the Muscat arms trade from the Persian (Makran) coast and inland, into Persia, Baluchistan and Afghanistan (f 59).

Extent and format
1 volume (60 folios)
Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 62; 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.

Pagination: this part also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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‘Masqat Arms Traffic. 1908–1909.’ [‎42r] (88/128), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/289/A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100049315702.0x000059> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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