"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٥‎٣‎٩] (١٧٨٢/٦٨٢)

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539
held the principal forts on the harbour, a tower in the south-eastern part of
the town wall, and all the block-houses on the adjacent hills. The revolu
tionary leaders, who had their men under perfect control and restrained
them from plundering, gave it to be generally understood that they had
come, not to rob, but to set up a ruler who would be able to make his
power respected throughout the country.
On the 14;th of February the British India Steam Navigation
Company^ mail steamer entered the harbour, but passengers for Masqat
were not allowed to land ; and the vessel herself was immediately des
patched to Chahbar with a telegram from the Political Agent, informing
the Resident of the situation that had arisen and asking for naval assist
ance. The Sultan requested that the steamer might be sent to bur to
fetch a reinforcement of loyal tribesmen from that port, but his applica
tion was refused by Colonel Hayes Sadler, who considered it now the more
necessary to observe a strict neutrality because the town was in the
hands of the rebels and they had the lives and property of many British
subjects entirely at their mercy. The insurrectionaries spent the day
in wrecking the Sultanas palaces and in auctioning such of his effects
as they did not destroy ; some of the property thus sold was bought in
by British Indian traders with the object of saving it for His Highness.
On this day the Political Agent received a letter from Abdullah,
in which an attempt was made to establish a community of intciest
between the rebel leaders and the British representative, and gieat
deference was expressed for the opinion of the latter ; but Colon* 1
Hayes Sadler merely replied that what he required was the protection of
British subjects and of their property.
Early on the 15th of February the white Mutawwa' flag was sfen
floating over the Sultanas palace. On the 16th the rebels were aboi^ to
advance into the British Agency quarter in order to blockade loit ^alali
more effectively, but on the remonstrances of the Political A gen- they
desisted from their intentions. The first reinforcement for the Sultanairived
on the morning of the 17th in the shape of a contingent of Bam Ja
from Tiwi ; and the rebels, almost simultaneously, received a lai^e
addition to their forces. On this day the rebel leade) Muhsi
; Amr waited on Colonel Hayes Sadler and sought to impress on
that the insurrection was a general Hinawi movement for the puipos ^
dethroning the reigning Sultan, but that the tribes of Oman
nothing so much as the friendship and support of the British Government.
In the afternoon the Political Agent visited the Sultan, and the "
enquired whether the Agent could mediate between him and the
Proceedings
on the 14th
of February.
Proceedings
from the 15th
to tlie 17th
February.