تقارير إدارية من الخليج العربي ١٨٨٣/١٨٨٤ – ١٩٠٤/١٩٠٥ [و‎‎٧‎٥] (٦٠٢/١٥٤)

RESIDENCY AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR 1887-88.
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execution of these instructions, may perhaps place it in his power to acquire a great glory which prolongs the
memory of men beyond the duration of ages."
The Atalanta frigate, a famous ship in her day, was painted a bright yellow colour with
white mouldings, and was one of the swiftest and handsomest vessels of her class in the French
navy. She. sailed from Mauritius on the 5th September 1803, and reached Muscat on the 3rd
October. On anchoring in the cove she was boarded by the Wali, who, on being made
acquainted with the purport of M. de Cavaignac's mission, informed that gentleman that
Seyyid Sultan was absent in the interior, being engaged in operations against the Wahhabees;
he promised, however, that immediate intimation should be sent to him of the Atalanta s
arrival, and, in the meantime, offered M. de Cavaignac the hospitality of a house on shore. At
this time the Resident, Captain Seton, was absent on duty, having sailed in the Ternate •
in the beginning of September for another part of the Gulf, and^the French envoy, therefore, had
a fair opportunity of making friends with the leading Arabs, and of pressing the advantages of
a French alliance. It was in his favour also that the commercial intercourse so long existing
with Mauritius had caused the formation of a strong French party in the town, as he was able
to depend on the influence of these partizans at the palace, and it was from them that he first
learned of the existence of the treaties of 1798 and 1800.
Congrataluting himself, therefore, on the opportune absence of his adversary, the English
Resident, M. de Cavaignac entertained for some days high hopes of procuring a favourable
reception and of succeeding in his mission.
Seyyid Sultan returned to Muscat on the morning of the 12th October 1803. He had
been engaged in contending and negociating with the Wahhabee General, but on receiving his
Waifs letter had started at once for Muscat, firmly resolved upon the course he would adopt
with Napoleon's agent.
The captain of the Atalanta, on hearing of Seyyid Sultan's arrival, sent two of his
officers to convey his respects and compliments, and to ask for an interview. The officers were
civilly received, and on being questioned as to the object of the Atalanta's visit replied that it
was desired to establish a French Residency at Muscat, and that an officer appointed to act as
Consul by the French Government was on board the vessel. The same afternoon Seyyid
Sultan sent two Arab officials on board, with instructions to acquaint the Captain and
M. de Cavaignac that His Highness could not receive a French Agent and Consul on account of
the engagements recently entered into with the English, and that he declined an interview to
discuss the subject; but that, as he wished to remain on friendly terms with the French, his
harbours would always be open, as before, to their vessels, and that * he would be happy
to listen to any proposals they had to make on commercial matters. In dictating this
diplomatic message, Seyyid Sultan was no doubt actuated by a keen regard for his country's
interests. While fearful of offending the French, the remembrance of Captain Malcolm's
arguments and the momentous events that had occurred since his (Malcolm's) visit, such as the
evacuation of Egypt by the French army, and the triumphs of Lord Lake in India, had
created a deep impression on the Prince's mind, and must have convinced him more than ever
as to the incomparably greater importance to the Arabs of the English over the French
alliance.
The tone of the message must have shown M. de Cavaignac the hopelessness of argument
and representation on his part, as he does not appear to have again sought an interview, but it
was a bitter disappointment to him, for his Arab friends had made him sanguine of success, and
he had doubtless been anticipating in his mind the approbation of Napoleon.
Reluctant, however, to abandon so easily the mission with which he had been charged, he
waited in the harbour for one more day and then, under cover of the darkness of midnight on
the 13tb, the Atalanta 3 % broad sails bore her out of the port, and by the morning she was
nowhere to be seen.
This attempt closed for the time French' political intercourse with Muscat, and it was not
renewed until Seyyid Saeed sent a mission to the Isle of France after the murder of Seyyid
Bedr in 1807.
But the French privateers nevertheless did not cease to make Muscat a rendezvous and
base for their operations against British shipping in the Persian and 'Oman Gulfs, and great
was the depredation committed by them.
During the ten years of Seyyid Sultanas reign, from 1793 to 1804, the loss inflicted on
British trade in the Indian Ocean was not less than 250 lakhs of rupees, or about three
millions sterling.