'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎130v] (265/386)

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Your Lordship will recollect that in November last we invited attention
to a suggestion made by our local officers that the jurisdiction of the Sultan of
Maskat should be extended and consolidated along the Batineh coast: and we
intimated that, before expressing an opinion on this suggestion, we proposed to
await a further report from our Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Maskat. The conclusions
at which Major Cox has arrived, after a tour along the coast, are summarised
in the 13th paragraph of his report No. 290, dated the 2nd July 1902, which
forms the second enclosure to this despatch.
2. It will be observed that, as regards the Maklab isthmus and the promon
tory of Musandim, Major Cox is of opinion that the Sultan’s jurisdiction is of
so uncertain and inetfective a character that it would be open to 11 is Majesty’s
Government either to recognise or to ignore its existence, as might be found
most convenient: and he suggests that, in view of the possibility of the
Elphinstone Inlet being required for naval or strategical purposes, the old
telegraph quarters on the Inlet should now be re-occupied by the posting there
of a Native Agent Non-British agents affiliated with the British Government. in charge of a British flag, as at Bassidore. Major Cox
proposes, that to carry out this measure, our Political Pendent in the Persian
Gulf should visit the locality in the telegraph ship “ Patrick Stewart,” without
previous reference to the Sultan of Maskat, who could be informed, if necessary,
that the step is necessitated in connection with a contemplated extension of the
Maskat-Jask cable to Bunder Abbas. As an alternative to this proposal,
Major Cox suggests that the Sultan should be pressed to assert bis authority
in that neighbourhood by appointing Walis at Dibba, Lima, Bokba and
Kumzar. Lieutenant-Colonel Kemball, on the other hand, considers that the
indefinite position of affairs on this strip of coast may safely be allowed to
continue, and he proposes that matters should be left as they are.
3. The above proposals relate to the portion of the coast from Dibba
round the Musandim promontory as far as Tibba on the Arabian coast of the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Apart from this, there is a strip of coast between Khor Kalba
and Dibba which is subject to the influence of the Jowasmi Chief of Shargah,
one of the Irucial Chiefs with whom, as \our Lordship is aware, agreements
exist precluding them from ceding, selling, mortgaging or otherwise giving
for occupation any part of their territories, save to the British Government.
On this strip of coast alfairs are at present in a somewhat unsettled state, the
Sheikh of Pujeira, who is nominally subordinate to the Chief of Shargah,
desiring to become independent of his Chief, who appears to have shown himself
unable or unwilling to accord adequate protection to his feudatory. Both the
Sheikh of Pujeira and the Sheikh of Khor Pakan have recently appealed to
the Sultan of Maskat to take them under his protection and to save them
liom Jouasrai oppression. Lieutenant-Colonel Kemball is endeavouring to
eflect a settlement between the Sheikh of Fujeira and the Chief of Sbargah, and
he considers that, if the behaviour of the latter proves reasonable, we are bound
to suppoi t him and to prevent the Fujeira Sheikh from asserting his independ
ence. If, however, his endeavours to effect a settlement prove abortive,
Lieutenant-Colonel Kemball thinks that it may be desirable to terminate the
authority of the Jowasmi Chief on the Batineh coast, and to hand over the
strip in question to the Sultan of Maskat.
T. The questions at issue, as stated in the foregoing paragraphs, are of no
small difficulty, and have been fully discussed in the Minute by His Excellency
the V iceroy which accompanies this despatch, and with which we desire to
express oui entire concurrence. The proposals which we would invite Your
Lordship to approve are, first, that our 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. at Bushire should be
aut horised at a suitable opportunity to proceed to the Elphinstone Inlet on the
isthmus of Maklab, and to effect a re-occupation of the old telegraph buildings
there m the manner suggested by Major Cox ; and, secondly, that the strip of
coast between Khor Kalba and Dibba, which is under Jowasmi influence, should
continue to be regarded as a part of the territory of the Chief of Shargah, with
v horn we haie treaty relations. It would be easy to explain the suggested
action in the Elphinstone Inlet, either to the Sultan of Maskat or to any other
enquner, as connected with possible developments of our system of telegraphic
communications in the Gulf. &
5. M e trust that these proposals, which are directed to preventing the
acquisition by any foreign Pow r er of a c( mmanding position at the entrance
to the 1 eisian Gulf, will meet with the approval of His Majesty’s Government,