"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [ظ‎‎١‎٤‎١] (٦١٦/٢٨٧)

gQ 'ADMINISTEATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY,
safely and fell in with some fishermen who fed them and conveyed them in a
Badan to Mahot. There fortunately they found the small boat's crew beincr
hospitably entertained. The smaller boat had proceeded in the first instance to
Sarah where fishermen conveyed them along with their boat to Mahot.
At Mahot both boats' crew were hospitably received by Easind-bin-
Sawwad el Hikmani. He is a Shaikh of the el Hikmani inhabiting the Barub
Eikman as the land is called surrounding the^ Ghubbet-ul-Hashish. H e
personally conducted the boat's crew to Maskat in two dhows where they
arrived safely on the 21st and 22nd August, respectively. He was thanked and
rewarded for his kindness and trouble. Meanwhile H.M.S. Lapwing had
been deputed by His Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief to go iu
search of the missing boats and also to visit the wreck. The Commander of
the Lapwing found it impracticable to launch a boat to visit the wreck
and while passing Masirah Island he heard of the safe despatch in dhows of
the missing crew.
The Hamburg-Am erica Company in November made a donation of £50
to the Agency Hospital funds to mark their appreciation of the kindness their
officers and crew had received in Maskat. His Highness the Sultan had the
thanks of the Government of India regarding the behaviour of his subjects
conveyed to him at an official visit.
The Captain, officers and crew of the Teutonia all reached Germany safely.
The steamer is a total wreck.
Slave trade. As noticed in la?t years report, there appears to be no doubt that the
sbve traffic between Oman and the African ports has ceased. This may be
inferred from the fact that the Africans who applied for freedom durino* the
past two years have all been in Oman some years. There were none of recent
importation. Forty-five slaves applied at the Agency for freedom, 42 were
granted manumission certificates, 3 were found not entitled to freedom under
treaty stipulations. With regard to these latter His Highness the Sultan took a
bond from their masters for the kind treatment of the slaves before surrender
ing them. Of the forty-three (43) freed, 23 were Africans and 20 Mekranis.
Of these Mekranis ^ only elected to return to Mekran, the rest chose to remain
and earn their livelihood in Oman. Five Africans w^ere repatriated via Bombay
by mail steamer and 6 were sent direct to Zanzibar in a dhow. H.M.S.
Lapsing conveyed 2 to Karachi, 10 elected to remain in Oman.
Five applications were m^de by Mekranis to recover their relatives from
slavery in Oman and the Trucial coast. Those in Oman were recovered. The
Shargah Agent was written to to assist those in the Trucial Coast.
Public health Maskat has been quite free from epidemic diseases and the public health
and quarantine, has been good. Malarial fever is the prevalent disease, but shows a considerable
decrease over last year. This is due to the very small rainfall—1 inch and 80
cents. The marsh immediately outside the city wall has quite dried up in
consequence. The benefit of this has been felt in the almost entire absence of
mosquitos. No blackwater fever occurred.
The quarantine arrangements were carried on by Captain Norman Scott,
I. M.S., to the satisfaction ot the Local Government and public.
J-/® ^ ie w . or ^ : Hospital is at present being carried on with
difficulty^ in the Munshi s and Postmaster's quarters. This is inconvenient and
a suggestion to acquire a plot of land and build a modern well equipped
hospital is under consideration.
Rainfall. ^ This has been very scanty—1 inch and 80 cents. Last year it amounted to
^ 1D j S an( ^ CeD ^ S an ^ ^ ear P rev i ous to 5 inches. This may diminish
the date crop slightly, although much more rain is said to have fallen in the
interior.
HisExcellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, Sir George J. S. War-
render, ^ B. s C.V.O., A.-D.-C., visited Maskat in the flagship H.M.S. Hyacinth,
ills Excellency exchanged visits with the Political Agent and His Highness
thefeultan. The other ships which have visited Maskat during the official year
are H-M.S.i Highflyer, Proserpine, Perseus, Sphinx, Lapwing and Redbreast
and also the KJ.M.S. Lawrence and the I. E. Telegraph steamer Patrick