"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٥‎١‎٤] (١٧٨٢/٦٥٧)

r % . -J/z'-f
HHtamm
514
Sabam claim,
1876.
Mfttrali olafir,
1877.
after his return from Gwadar was able to obtain any satisfaction from
the Suris; but at length in July 1877 Mr. Hobertson, the Political
Agent, accompanied by the Sultan's Wazir, proeeeded to the spot in
H.M.S. " Teazer" and, by threats of instant coercion, recovered
the amount of the Banyan's claim together with a fine of $2,000,
The fine, after the cost of sending the ship had been deducted, was
handed over to the Sultan.
The raid of Hamud the Jahafi in Batinah, in the autumn of 1876, was
the cause of some loss to Hindu traders at Saham, whose property was
plundered partly by Hamiid^s men and partly by the Yal Bu Qaraiu
inhabitants of the town. The direct damage in this case was e;timated
at $13,544 ; but a claim was also brought for the amount of outstanding
debts which the traders, in the expectation that they would not be able
to return to Saham, feared that it might be impossible to recover. For
the item of direct damage the Sultan was held responsible, inasmuch as
the traders had been left defenceless through the unauthorised withdrawal
of a guard at Saham by the Sultan's Wali of Sohar, and he ultimately
accepted the responsibility ; but in regard to the recovery of the debts it was
ordered by Government that the procedure customary in stch cases should
be followed. When the traders subsequently wished to retirn from Sohar
to Saham and Dil, both of which were unwalled towns, cbjections were
at first raised by the Sultan ; but, the British representatives having
taken their stand upon an article in the Commercial Treaty of 1839 by
virtue of which British subjects were at liberty to reside and trade in
any part of the Sultan's dominions, the right of the traders to return was
not, apparently, any further contested.
The most important case of recovery of compensation for British
subjects was that which resulted from the occupation of Matrih by the
rebels in the rising of 1877. The damages in thib instance were at first
assessed at $15,000; and Mr. Robertson proposed, and Colonel Ross
supported, a scheme by which one-fourth of the compensation should be
paid by the Sultan and the remaining three-fourths by the actual reb' ls,
pressure being put on the latter by seizure of their exports at Sur and
Mat rah. The mail by which these recommendations were forwarded to
India unfortunately went astray, and the whole question was entirely 1' ®'
sight of until 1879, when it seems to have been decided that the British
claim should be reduced to $10,000 and that payment should be
demanded of Salih-bin-'Ali personally and of the Hajriyin, Hirth and
Habus tribes, the Sultan, it would seem, being now excused from payment
of any share. A notification was accordingly issued by the Resident) in
.iW, ID