"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٥‎٢] (١٧٨٢/٤٩٥)

u iiiimi jlfflbbsmh—iim
France and
the represen
tation of the
Shaikhs of
Trucial
Oman by
Britain in
their foreign
relations.
Persia and
the same.
852
The Russian cruiser K Varyag arrived at Masqat on the 10th of
December 1901, and on the following day complimentary visits were ex
changed between the officers and the Sultan, the French Consul acting as
intermediary. The Sultan was much impressed by the appearance of the
" Varyag " and subsequently remarked that it was the finest war -vessel
that he had seen in the Gulf. At the farewell visit of the " Boyarin to
Masqat about the middle of March 1903, M. Passek, the Russian Consul-
General from Bushehr, in conversation with the Sultan broached the topic
of a Russian consular officer for Masqat ; the Sultan however ignored his
remarks and M. Passek did not attempt to return to the subject.
Affairs and foreign relations of Trucial 'Oman, 1899-1905.
Duiing this period the right of the British Government to represent the
Shaikhs of Trucial 'Oman in external affairs was clearly affirmed and ad-
mitted upon more than one occasion.
In 19().> a native vessel flying the French flag was wrecked at Dibai,
and the French representative at Masqat at first took steps for a settlement
of the case, in which compensation was claimed, between the Shaikh and
himself direct. However, on the special relations of the Trucial Shaikhs
with Biitain being explained and the Exclusive Agreement of 1892 commu
nicated to the French Government, the latter in 1904 agreed that the case
of their protege should be disposed of through the British political represen
tative in the Gulf, and action was taken accordingly.
But it was chiefly through matters affecting Persia that the virtual
suzerainty of Britain over Trucial 'Oman was brought into prominence. In
1899 the 1 ersian Government, being apprehensive of an Arab descent on
Lingeh from the ports of Trucial 'Oman, appealed to the British Govern
ment to prevent the movement they feared, and the requisite steps were
taken by the British political authorities; but this did not prevent Persian
intrigues with the Shaikh of Abu Dhabi in 1900-01, in which however
the chief object on the Persian side was probably to assure the safety of
Lin^eh. In 1903 the title of Britain to present claims which the
Tiucial Shaikhs entertained against t he Persian administration of the coast
pposite to their osvn was affirmed by His Britannic Majesty's Minister at
ehran, and appears to have been admitted by the Persian Government on
their being made aware of the Exclusive Agreement,