"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٤‎٩‎٠] (١٧٨٢/٦٣٣)

The " Bnll-
finch " in
cident, March
1870.
Discussions
regarding
the recogni
tion of
'Azzan con
tinued till
interrupted
by his death,
1870-71.
490
In March 1870 a boat belonging to H.M.S. " Bullfinch " was fired on in
Masqat harbour; but the occurrence was shown to be due partly tea mis
take by the garrison and partly to the neglect of the boat to carry a light
after dark ; as required by the regulations of Masqat harbour; consequently
the harmonious relations which now prevailed were not disturbed.
At length, in May 1870, the Government of India submitted the ques
tion of the recognition of 'Azzan to the Secretary of State, with especial
reference to the terms and conditions on which it might be granted; in
particular they desired to know whether, in case of recognition, all
previous treaties with the ruler of 'Oman should be maintained,-
whether continuance of the Zanzibar subsidy should be guaran*
teed; whether the good offices of Britain with Persia should be promised
in connection with the lease of Bandar 'Abbas and its dependencies,
which had lapsed by the displacement from power of Sa'id-bin-Sultan's
descendants; and whether the responsibility of mediating for the restora
tion ot Gwadar and Chahbar to ; Omaii should be assumed. Before these
difficult questions could be resolved, the situation in 'Oman had been
entiiely altered by the appearance of Turki on the scene ; and at the time
of his death the Sultanate of 'Azzan was still officially unrecognised by the
British Government.
History of the Zanzibar subsidy during the reign of 'Azzan*
During the whole of his reign 'Azzan received nothing on account
of the Zanzibar subsidy, nor was anything paid to his successor on
account of the period during which 'Azzan had ruled. The non-recog
nition of Azzan s government was not the sole cause of this omission.
Majid, the Sultan of Zanzibar, found in the usurpation of 'Azzan afresh
excuse for not discharging his liabilities under the award of 1861 ; from
May 186 b he discontinued his payments ; and about the end of that year
he sent a mission to England to remonstrate against the obligations to
uhich he had been subjected. Her Majesty's Government, who were
anxious at this time to obtain from Majid certain facilities for the
suppiession of the slave tiade, encouraged him through his envoy to hope
foi lelease fiom the payment of the subsidy. A long discussion followed
etween Her Majesty's Government and the Government of India, in
which the latter maintained that there had been no change of circum
stances which could be held to invalidate Lord Canning's award; that
justice and good faith required the British Government either to enforce
against the Sultan of Zanzibar the award which they had imposed on the
U an 0 0ma11 ' or to set the latter ^e to prosecute his claims on Zanzibar
. EftS