'File 11/1 Muscat Administration Reports and related correspondence' [‎91r] (192/504)

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/O J *
Th© reduction in the nuniber of outdoor cases is due to the ^
large number of coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. employed on the South Arabian Air
Route•
Malaria, eye infections and venereal diseases are still
the main problems*
(o) Quarantine .
Small pox was again prevalent on the Batinah Coast and
a number of cases found their way into the towns of :4atrah
and Muscat causing a mild epidemic* Stringent measures were
taken and the epidemic was soon controlled* Vaccinations were
carried out in headquarters but there was difficulty in obtain
ing fresh lymph and there was not enough to send a vaccinator
to th© coastal towns.
There were no other infectious diseases.
III. POLITICAL SITUATION .
(a) i ra ufl.
Fight between the people of Ib ri and Bcni.ahafir. In an
affray, in April 1943, between the people of Ibri and the Beni
Ghafir, casualties ©mounted to 67 killed and 26 wounded, the
Beni Ghafir having considerably the better of the exchanges.
Amongst the killed were the eon and the nephew ol the Sheikh
of Hamran and Ahmed bin Said, brother of the Qadhi of Sohar.
The cause of the trouble was a series of petty thefts committed
by each side against the other. The dispute was finally
settled by th© mediation of Saiyid Ahmed bin Ibrahim, Minister
for Internal Affairs, and Sheikh Sulaiman of the Jebel Akhdar.
In early January the tribal leaders assembled at Qabail
to discuss the restrictions imposed by the Muscat Government
on the export of rice from Muscat to Oman. The meeting
decided that Sheikh Isa bin Saleh al Karthi should represent
the grievances of the tribesmen to the Muscat Government and,
if these were not removed, the Treaty of Sib, 1920, should be
denounced. Actually, Sheikh Mohammad bin Isa came to Muscat
on his father’s behalf and the negotiations ended satisfactorily
It was recognised that the lack of rice was not the fault of
the Muscat Government and a tribal agent was appointed to
Muscat to purchase the Omanis* share of wheat and barley.
In June 1943, Saiyid Mohammed bin Hilal, «aii of
and the last relative of the Muscat Ruling Family remaining
irTan official position in tribal territory, was dismissed by
the Imam*
(b; I
Ha of Wall of Bpshar. The death of the 4.ali of
Boshar, Shaikh Ali bin ADauI^h ^April?^
in somewhat suspicious circumstances on the 24th of Aprxi.
He had been visiting the wall rft*r
heleft’the house he fell dead in the ^ 8 o £ 0 £L wa8
examined by the ^“hcy Surgeor^and hy^r^Th^^ that doat , h
American Mission hosp » Relativas however suspected poison.
Though the late Wall was hh® brother of^he^Xmam of Onan he^
Z succeeded'as Wall by his