"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٥‎١‎١] (١٧٨٢/٦٥٤)

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His military
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longer favoured the Hinawi tribes but rather returned to dependence
on the Ghafiris ; he paid more attention to the efficiency of his own
military resources; and he utilised the services of his own relations
and of other respectable men more freely in the administration.
The re -enlistment of foreign mercenaries, Hasawis and Najdis,
while it made the Sultan almost independent in his capital of tribal
support, was not an unmixed benefit ; for the soldiery were prone to
factions among themselves, and the behaviour of those among them who
were Wahhabis was apt to be truculent. In 1879 the chief of the
Hasawis at Masqat was murdered by the N ajdis, and the feai of an
armed struggle between the two corps was so great that H.M.S.
" Beacon " was sent to strengthen the authority of the Sultan. In 1881
a Hindu merchant was shot dead at Matrah, and so strongly did the
Hindu community believe this murder to be the work oi the Sultan s
Wahhabi guard that they petitioned the Political Agent to take steps foi
its disbandment. In 1882 a daring robbery of a Kbojah British subject
was committed by a Wahhabi soldier at Mat rah, and some difficulty
was experienced by the Political Agent in obtaining reparation.
The naval position of the Sultan was extremely weak after his hjb n»val
return from Gwadar, during his sojourn at which place he bad dis^
posed of his only vessel, the corvette " Hahmani, by selling hei at
Bombay. In 1876 Turki solicited the help of the British Government
in obtaining a steam-vessel, the cost of the same to be deducted by
instalments from the "Zanzibar ' subsidy; but the request was not
favourably entertained. In the end, however, Turki received the steam
yacht u Dar-as-Salamas a gift from his brother the Sultan uf Zanzibar
and she seems to have been of considerable service in strengthening his
control over the coast.
Turki's principal minister throughout this period of his reign was His public
Sa J id-bin-Muhammad, the brother of his original ilMated Wazir, Thuwami
bin-Muhammad. Entire confidence did not, however, exist between the
Sultan and Sa'id ; moreover the latter was the enemy of Badar-bin baif, a
consistent supporter of Turki who had governed Sohar as Wali t^ei since
its capture in 1873. In consequence largely of the intrigues of Sa id,
Badar was removed from Sohar in 1878 and banished to Zanzibar, but
Turki in 1879 allowed him to return to 'Oman and appointed him gover
nor of Matrah. Turki discovered a useful servant in a certain Sulaiman-
bin-Suwailim, whom, from 1879 onwards, he employed chiefly m Dhufar.
With most of his near relatives, except his brother 'Abdul ; Aziz, Hia relation
Turki was on friendly terms; but in 1876, on suspicion of intrigue, he