"ملف رقم II/١٢ مذكرات معلومات من إدارة الخارجية بخصوص شؤون بلاد فارس والساحل العربي من الخليج الفارسي. يناير "٠٩ --" [ظ‎‎١‎١] (١٧٨/٢٢)

12
eons in the event of such a company being
formed in England. The Mu in was informed
in reply that, in the event of a company being
formed, he could rely upon the absolute
protection of his property and upon the bene
volent protection of the British Government
during the currency of a bond fide contract,
provided that the contract had been concluded
before the need for protection arose.
On the 7 th November, Mr. Wilson Fox
communicated to the Foreign Office the result
of his efforts to bring about a settlement
between Messrs. Ellinger and Strick. Messrs.
Strick & Co. refused to enter into the company
proposed by the Muin on the grounds that the
terms were much too onerous. Nor would the
firm take up a contract for the purchase of
oxide in view of the uncertainty of finding a
market for the commodity. Mr. Ellinger, who
was unable to float the company unaided,
thereupon addressed the Muin advising him
to offer more reasonable terms for the form
ation of a company.
On the 17th December, acting on instruc
tion received from Sir E. Grey, Sir G. Barclay
telegraphed the following summary of the
Muin’s firman of 1904*:—
“The Muin is con finned in his posses
sion of the islands of Hormuz, Larak, Bosta-
neh, Henjam and Kishm, and also of Minab
and Khamer on the mainland, which places
have been rented by him and placed in his
charge. In addition to the original amount
of Tomans 16,000 he must pay a further sum
of Tomans 10,000 for rent and taxes. '*
“The islands and places cited are en
trusted to the Muin for the future, and, as
was the case in the past, they shall be regarded
as specially vested in him. No exactions will
be made from him beyond the amounts already
particularised. The Muin is entrusted with
the collection and administration of taxes and
he shall retain the difference between the
actual and assessed taxation of the places
mentioned; also all profits obtained from the
sulphur, salt and red oxide mines. Interfer
ence by officials at the places concerned is
forbidden
On the 21st December, Sir E. Grey
telegraphed to Tehran that Mr. Ellinger had
announced the conclusion of a three years*
contract between himself and Messrs. Andrew
Weir for the sale of Hormuz oxide.
19. Prior to the conclusion of a contract
Messrs. Strick & Co.’s for the Hormuz red
sions in the Persian oxide {vide paragraph
Gutf- 18 supra), a difficulty
arose in the settlement of the question of
a concession for the deposits on the island of
Sirri, owing to a claim preferred by the Muin
to the effect that the general terms of his