"تقرير إداري عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج العربي والوكالة السياسية في مسقط عن الفترة ١٩٠٢-١٩٠٣" [ظ‎‎١‎٨‎٨] (٧٢/٢٤)

12
ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL
Jourrey from
Abu Thabi to
Maskat.
Delhi
Coronation
Durbar.
8. After leaying Fujeyrah the Redbreast cruised round to Abu Thabi on
the Pirate coast where the Political Agent was landed on 30th April and
journeyed to Maskat by land, a distance a little over 400 miles.
The utmost assistance and hospitality was afforded to him by Sheikli Zaeed-
bin-Khalifa, Chief of Abu Thabi, without whose cordial co-operation the first
portion of the journey could not have been performed; and on disembarking
the Political Agent, H. M. S. Bedhreast returned to Maskat with a despatch
requesting the Sultan to be so good as to send his trusted Lieutenant Sheikh
Eashidbin-Uzaiz, Governor of Semail, or some other influential Sheikh, to meet
the Political Agent at Ibri in the Dahireh. His Highness cordially and
promptly responded and Sheikh llashid duly kept tryst at Ibri on 14th May.
Some portion of the country passed through in the Dahireh district had not
been visited before by a European, so far as is known, and of the remainder of
the route much had not been traversed for many years.
The principal places visited were Abu Thabi, Bereymee, Hafit, Hthank,
Ibri, Nejd-ul-Makharim Gabrin, Bahla, Nezwa, Tanoof, the villages of the
Jebel Akhdar range, Semail, Saroor, Bidbid, Pinjah and so on to Maskat which
was reached on 29th May.
No serious opposition was offered to the Political Agent's progress and when
the difficulties and occasional risks of first contact had been got over, and his
identity and credentials made known, the villagers and Bedouins met with were
uniformly friendly. The chief impediment to the security of travel in Oman,
as in other parts of Arabia, is the suspicious nature of the bucolic Arab, who is
ever ready to believe any exaggerated or lying story that may happen to get
abroad regarding the identity and motives of the stranger sojourning in bis country.
The peasants were found to be much better armed in this, the Northern
half of Oman, than they are in the South ; in fact obsolete rifles were altogether
at a discount.
9. (&) On 8th June His Majesty's 1st class Cruiser Amphitrite, 11,000
tons. Captain 0. Windham C.V.O., arrived at Maskat fromEngland and, in the
absence of the B)esident at Shiraz, the Political Agent accompanied her on
her cruise in these waters, returning to Maskat on 25th June.
{c) On 11th July he proceeded to Simla on duty and returned on 13th
August.
{d) On 13th December he left for India to attend the Coronation Durbar
at Delhi with the deputation of His Highness the Sultan.
10. The latter was cordially invited by the Government of India to attend
this great pageant himself as the guest of Government, or to send a deputation
in the event of his own inability to avail himself of the invitation. Unfor
tunately His Highness did not feel able to absent himself from Maskat for the
period which his presence at Delhi in person would have necessitated, and there
fore sent his eldest son Saiyid Taimoor to represent him, attended by Saiyid
Yusuf Zowawi, a close friend and adviser of the Sultan, and Saiyid Miiharamad
bin Ahmed bin Nasir, Governor of Muttra.
The Political Agent accompanied the deputation as Political officer.
On arrival at Karachi Saiyid Taimoor was received with his father's salute
of 21 guns and was escorted on shore by the Port Officer. He was accorded
similar honors on arrival at and departure from Delhi, and was in all matters
treated as representing His Highness the Sultan.
In spite of the severe cold the party kept good health and were able to
attend all the preordained functions and to enter heartily into other pleasures
during theprogress of the festivities, which they thoroughly appreciated and
eil 3 0 3 During the fortnight Saiyid Taimoor and his companions had an
mterview with His Excellency the Viceroy, taking with them a set of handsome
gold chased articles of local pattern and workmanship which the Sultan had had
ma e tor His Majesty the King and which His Excellency the Viceroy had
kmdly undeitaken to have forwarded to their destination. During the interview
w aiyid aimoor delivered messages of congratulation and friendship from his
a icy, and His Excellency expressed his pleasure at being able to honour the
occasion y t le presentation to His Highness the Sultan of 2 guns as an arma-
ment for the steamer which he has lately purchased, through the good offices of
the Government of Incua, for his own use.