"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎١] (١٧٨٢/٢٩٤)

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151
French interests and proceedings in the Persian Gulf, 1763-1797.
During the period that elapsed between the end of the Seven Years'
War and the French Revolution ; France appears to have been, as before,
without any official representative in Persia. At Basrah she had in
1765 a Resident or Consul who did not trade, whose salary was irre
gularly paid, and whom the Mutasallim in 1765 decided to treat on
ceremonial occasions as inferior in rank to the British Resident. The
Latin Bishop of Baghdad was generally a Frenchman; and before the
French Revolution he ordinarily discharged, in addition to his episcopal
duties, those of French Consul at the headquarters of the Pasha^s
Government. After the Revolution, at least ill 1796-97, the
French representative at Baghdad was a layman^ who was described as
"le commissaire des relations commerciales but whose position probably
did not differ in any essential point from that of an ordinary Consul.
Through their Consul at Baghdad, and through agents in Mauritius,
the French Government at this time generally maintained a friendly
intercourse with the ruler of "'Oman; but mutual amenities were in
abeyance from 1781 to 1790 in consequence of the unauthorised seizure by
a French privateer of a war-vessel belonging to the Imam. In 1785 a
French mission from Mauritius sought permission to establish a French
Factory at Masqat, but their efforts met with no better success than
the similar endeavours of the British about the same time.
After the declaration of war by Britain against France in 1793
and the union of Holland with France in 1795, a period of unrest and
intrigue in the countries adjoining the Persian Gulf began ; but up to
1797 there was no decided action in this region by the British, who
had enough to occupy them in India, Ceylon and the Dutch East Indies.
The most important political mission sent to the Middle East by
France at this time was one which consisted of Citizens Bruguiere and
Olivier, two eminent naturalists. It remained five years, from 1793 to
1798, in Turkey, Egypt and Persia; and its proceedings are fully
related by M. Olivier in his book * of travels.
The delegates, who, except during their short visit to Persia, seem
to have been engaged rather in the study of politics, trade, and natural
French
political
establish
ments,
1763-97.
Dealings of
the French
with the
'Oman Sul
tanate,
1763-92.
French ac
tivity in,
the Persian
Gulf,
1763-92.
Mission of
MM.
Bruguiere
and Olivier to
Turkey and
Persia,
1793-98.
* Dr. G. A. Olivier's Voyage dans VEmpire Othoman, VHgypte et la Persct
Paris, 1801-1807.