'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.' [‎164v] (333/386)

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Zanzibar, and inform him that the assertion of French protection oyer Suri
boats in Oman waters would be a contravention of that Declaration.” The
correspondence was reported to the Secretary of State in Secret despatch
Ko 160 (External), dated the 4th September 1884, and the instructions issued
by the Government of India were approved by Her Majesty’s Government in
Mr. Fowler’s despatch No. 48 (Secret), dated the 9th October 1894 ; which,
it is to be noted, was written after consultation with the I'oreign Office.
In the meanwhile a circumstantial report was received from Major Sadler
* Secret despatch No. 218 (External), dated the at Masktlt to the elfect that the import*
2 Gth December is94. ation of slaves to Oman by Suri dhows
carrying the French flag was still actively carried on, and Her Majesty’s
Government were informed* accordingly.
In April 1895, however, it was stated on the authority of the Commander
of a French war vessel (the “Troude”) that the practice of granting the
French flag and papers to these dhows had been discontinued.
Whatever value may have been attached to this statement was minimised
by the events of the succeeding year, when 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. reported the
seizure of two Suri dhows, flying the French flag, with a cargo of slaves on
hoard. M. Ottavi, the French Vice-Consul, protested against the detention of
these vessels; and although the dhows were captured in the territorial waters
of the Sultan, and the owners were known to be Li is Highness’s subjects, the
jurisdiction of the French Vice Consul over them was not questioned, and the
vessels, together with the owners and the slaves, were banded over to M. Ottavi
for disposal. The matter was reported to the Secretary of State in Secret
despatch No. 15 (External), dated the 27th January 1897.
In the meantime a report of these seizures and of the attitude of the
French Vice-Consul had been submitted to Her Majesty’s Government through
t Africa No. 28 s, dated the 22 nd December 189 R. Admiralty, and Lord Salisbury
directedt the British Ambassador in Paris
to address the French Government on the subject. “ Her Ma jesty’s Government
feel sure,” the Ambassador was directed to say, “ that the Government of the
Republic will agree with them iu wishing that persons guilty of so gross an
abuse of the French flag as the owner and master of the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. shoufd have
been brought to justice, and that the slaves, wlio were sheltered by the fla^,
should have been rescued from their fate ” : and he was also instructed to
enquire whether the instructions discontinuing the grant of French fla^s and
papers to Suri dhows were still in force.
The only result ot this reiferenoe was a disclaimer{ on the part of the French
■ t Secret despatch from Secretary of sute, No. 12 , Ambassador that there had ever been nnv
dated the 2nd April 1897. r?T i* • , . ■ u v
intention of discontinuing the practice.
. , . „ .I* J* n °PP or tunity was taken to repeat the instructions con
tained m Sir H. M. Durand’s letter of 4th August lfe91.
In August 1897, the Government of India again referred the matter to
Her Majesty’s Government (.Secret despatch No. H7 (External), dated the
4th August 189/], and suggested that the attitude now adopted by the French
Government (namely, their intention to continue the practice of "ranting
French nags ; nd papers to Maskat subjects) was inconsistent with their
previous admission that the action of their Vice-Consul at Aden in ^rantine
sucli papers was incorrect. 6 °
On receipt of this communication, Her Majesty’s Government § directed
Vide d pspxtch from Secretary of State, No. 36 Her Majesty’s Ambassador ,t Pnrk tn
(Secret), dated the 29th October 1897. rtlnpo rVoffv, r. * l e \ tv ,
, ^ place the matter again before the French
Government. The reply of the French Ambassador was to the effect that the
admission in the case ol the Vice-Consul at Aden was not of general application.
In the meanwhile a suggestion, emanating from the Foreign Office, was put
forward to the effect that the bultan should he advised to institute a distinctive
hag for the vessels of his subjects, and to “ issue orders prohibiting the .flying
ofany other on their ships _ This suggestion was put to the Political A-ent
at Maskat, who gave his opinion that, so long as the French flag continued to ho
granted to Maskat subjects, the prescription by the Sultan of a special fla- for