"ملف ٢٠/٨: شؤون دولة مسقط: احتجاج العمانيين" [و‎‎١‎٣‎١] (٦٣٤/٢٦١)

P.8.
in concla\voybo obtain from them a promise to give back
the gardens in dispute in return for the release of Isa 1 *
relations as a first step towards a final settlement•
The reasons of this mission were several. In the first
place he was willing to go. In the second his son hmldga
position of trust with the Imam^and owing to the rebellion
he has not seen him for years. In the third as an emissary
#
he is the most l%kely person to secure our objectowlng to
tfte respect he commands. (I have Just heard he has been
feted at every village on his way up).Finally the who}e
world knows that he has gone with thia object and should
he fail the effect on his prestige would be serious.
The religious factor can never be left out of
@)
account. The Sultan is regarded almost as an unbeliever
and at any rate heretical^while we are definitely Christian*
It would be the relhglous Influence if any that may prove
a stumbling block. But to set against this will be the
certain opposition of Sheikh Isa and the arguments of
Siielkh Sayid bin Naslr whose dicta on points of rellgflon
are considered final.
The material factor may be summed up in the
phrase general war weariness. All are tired, particularly
the Omanis, of a situation which is Irksome and in which
their profits are heavily curtailed and their movements
restrlcted.
Finally there is the Arab himself. He is liable
to do anything and there is possibly no person upon whom
one can rely less. An intrigue or a wave of fanaticism may
upset everything at the last moment. Xktmx The Omanis are
of a particularly ignorant & barbarous type.
However the conditions are on the whole favourable
ntstr
Shouli Sheikh Sayid bin Nasir succeed the should follow
A
automatically.
l