'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.' [‎162r] (328/386)

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appears to have regarded it, of the Government of India to protect the property
of British subjects on this occasion, there followed a demand to compensate
the latter for the losses they had incurred; and when, instead of being called
upon to pay this indemnity, as had first been proposed, within a specified limit
of time,.he was permitted to spread the instalments without interest over a
period of six years, the Sultan no doubt interpreted these acts of leniency as
a further sign of weakness. At the time of the Dhofar insurrection, he evinced
no readiness to accept the assistance which was proffered to him, either
because he distrusted our ability or because he suspected our motives ; and
although the signal services rendered to him by H.M.S “ Brisk ” received
suitable acknow.edg uent at his hands, it is doubtful how far the gratitude
then expressed was a genuine emotion. Meanwhile, the presence at his court
of a foreign Consul, indicating as it did the existence of an equality of treaty
rights vis-a-vis with Branco and Englanl, was suggestive of the safety with
which he might play off the one nation against the other. The people of
Oman were not free from the same impression, and were disposed to confound
action independent of Great Britain with action inimical to British interests.
We have seen a letter from the Sheikh of a tribe, the Beni-Ruwahi—at enmity
with the Sultan—which seems to show that because M. Ottavi had visited their
country, the Sheikh necessarily believed that M. Ottavi was acting in the in
dependent interests of France. Under these influences the attitude of the
Saltan became steadily more hostile, and was reflected in the illegal imposit 0:1
of taxes upon British subjects and in a general disregard of the fiscal obliga
tion imposed unon him by treaty. On January 1st, 1S98, he failed for the first
time to hoist the British flag and to salute Her Majesty the Queen-Empress—
the invariable practice upon New Year’s Day. In the month of October 1898
he received with a displav, which was in marked contrast to Ins behaviour
towards officers of the Royal Navy, and with an interchange of valuable presents,
the Commander of a French gun-boat width visited Maskat. At the same time
he dismissed from office his Yazir Saiyid Said, who was known to be friendly to
the British connection. M. Ottavi, the French Vice-Consul, was shortly after
wards promoted by his Government to the rank of Consul.
7. It was soon after these events that we heard rumours of the cession
to the Government of France of a port on the Maskat coast for occupation as
a coalin" station. This was an act, which, if committed, could not be regarded
otherwise than as a violation both of the Agreement o£ 1861 between Great
Britain and France lo respect the independen ce of Maskat, and si ill more of
fhe eLsgement given by the Sultan to Great Britain in 1891 no to alienate
any portion of his dominions to any other Power. 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 had no knowledge of the alleged transaction, and we heard also that
M Delcasse the French Foreign Minister, having been interrogated at Paris,
had denied anv knowledge of the matter, and had expressed ignorance as to the
occasion for acquiring any place of the sort. We accordingly sent instructions
to the PolitioaUVgent to ask the Suitan what truth there was in the report,
and His Hisrhness, after some fencing with the questions, admitted that he had
promised to the French Government a place for storing coal, but stated t ia
the locality had not yet been settled. It has subsequently transpired that the
Agreement in question was formally concluded wtth the French Government
in°-March 1898 on the occasion ol the visit of a french gun boat to Maskat.
8 Lieutenant-Colonel Meade, 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
was at tWsyme about to vFitJiLi^kat in-orderit^^ndeavour to^come^to^a good
him^ and whenwe heard from the 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. , for certain, that the Sultan
W1 nr irnisod a ooalin- station to the French, we instructed Lieutenant-Colonel
Meade'to’demaiS'tlie revocation^o^an undertaking^nto^which^^ttie^S^rltan^^was
precluded, for the above-mentioned ^ (0 settle with the Sultan
which Lieutenant. Colonel Meade employment of Abdul Aziz, the-
included the ^whS been imSd Tn contravention of the
cessation of taxes on tiad6 which mp e 1^ the yment of interest
npTn the 0 sums 0 “ng'dueto British subjects for the losses inflicted upon them