ملف رقم ٢٨٦٩ لسنة ١٩٠٦، جزء ٢، "تجارة الأسلحة: ساحل مكران وبلوشستان. مراسلات (١٩٠٨-١٩٠٩)" [ظ‎‎٦‎٩] (٥٥٤/١٤٧)

No. 625, dated Muscat, the 21st September 1908.
From— Captain F. McConaghey, I.A., Political Agent and His Britannic Majesty's
Consul, Muscat,
To—The Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire.
1 have the honour to report the steps I have taken with regard to certain
of the information lately received from jask and Chahbar.
2 Mir Sahib Khan (brother of Mir Islam Khan of Binth) and his follow
ers were sent back via Chahbar. They were only allowed to purchase three
rifles :—
(2) Kassim, Sunjee and Washu, residents of Old Jask, were not
allowed to land and proceeded to Karachi.
(3) Nakhoda Kadir Bux was this time made to return to Khonarak
without arms.
(4) Nakhoda Saul Muhammad of Mutrah, who was on the point of
leaving for Mekran with 170 rifles, has now been prohibited to
carry arms to Mekran by the owner of the boat, a British Indian
subject.
3. I have freely discussed with His Highness the Sultan all the above
mentioned cases. The Sultan, as you are aware, agreed with my predecessor
in * 1907, to prohibit his Arab arms
• Secret e. 3 April nos, Nos. 428-451. tr ad e rs selling arms, etc., to Afghans.
This prohibition has been of little practical value, Ali Moosa and others have
carried on their trade without any check or punishment. The Sultan is averse
to being pressed seriously on this matter. His private interests coincide too
closely with those of these traders and therefore he is unwilling to take active
steps to thwart them.
4. Since July, the Baluch trade in arms has not been on an extensive
rr ri ^ scale (about 1,000 rifles have been landed).
The date harvest in Mekran is over. The
Bazaars in Mutrah and Muscat are now becoming crowded with Mekranis and
the trade will become brisker This trade is carried on mostly by small local
Mekram traders. This class is without capital and is not in a position to suffer
any serious loss. A closer watch will also have to be kept this year on the
better class of Baluchis. The Afghans are beginning to use them as their go-
betweens in Muscat I am personally acquainted with most of the Sirdars
and headmen of the Mekran Coast and will be able to keep a watch on them.
A capture of one or two of these small consignments would have a very good
effect. To collect reliable news is hard, but it is still harder when one has the
nevrs not to be able to make any use of it owing to the absence of a gunboat or
any other means such as a steam launch.
5. A few small parties of Afghans are already reported to have arrived on
Afghan Trade. the Mekran Coast. Aii Moosa (the well
known gun merchant in Muscat) is
reported to have lately received a letter, the purport of which is that he is
shortly to expect the arrival of about 50 Afghans at Galeg. There is, I am
afraid, no reason at present to suppose that the o Afghan trade will be less keen
this season. On the other hand, a brisker trade may well be anticipated as
in every probability the distant tribes lately engaged on the North-West
Frontier may attempt to improve their arms. The Afghans are also beginning
to purchase a better class of rifle which enhances the value of this trade to
the local dealers in arms.
6. At the present time Persian Authority in Persian Baluchistan is non
existent. Mir Bairam Khan of Sarbaz is reported to have surrounded the
Fort of Fahraj (Bampur) and to have seized some of the surrounding villages.
There appears to be no local Governor at Bampur. If serious steps are
to he taken this season to try and prevent the Afghan trade, I would like
to urge the advantages of making the attempt on the Persian Mekran Coast
which is in our sphere of influence. This would remove the scene of operations
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