ملف ١٣/ ٢ II "أنشطة تجار الرقيق في منطقة مسقط" [و‎‎٩] (١٤٢/١٧)

2
• *
take a letter to the Wall of Suwaiq who would be asked to take such
action as might be possible to aid her in her search, but X, having
good reason to know how valueless these letters have been in past
cases and seeing no reason to suppose that they would be any more
effective in the present case, insisted that action should be taken
that would be more likely to produce results. Saiyid Shahab bin
Faisal then sent a special messenger to Suwaiq with a letter to
Sheikh Rilal bin Hamad calling on him to institute enquiries into
the whereabouts of the children. The messenger returned to say that
Sheikh Hilal bin Hamad had left for Rustaq to get married. The
Representative su gg ested that matter might now rest until the
Sultan's return but I informed him that I was not prepared to agree
to further delay, although I was afraid that it was already too late
to recover the children who would almost certainly Ixave been got
away from Suwaiq, and suggested that he should write a letter to the
wall which I would send with Maryam to Suwaiq. Saiyid Shahab
agreed to do so and the letter and Maryam escorted by an Agency
Farash were sent to Suwaiq, the husband being admitted to the Agency
Hospital to be taken care of in Maryam's absence as he was suffer
ing from malaria aggravated by venereal disease which he has had in
various forms for many years according to the medical authorities.
The Wali acted on the Representative's instructions in as
far as he had the immediate neighbourhood of the town searched but
refused to have Sheikh Hilal bin Hamad* s premises examined as the
Sheikh was absent nor would he in any way assist in a search of the
tribal area. The party returned to Muscat and on further examin
ation of Maryam I obtained the names of the Baluchis who had abduct
ed her. After having obtained your approval to my telegraphing to
the Sultan should I find Saiyid Shahab bin Faisal unwilling to take
any further action as I fully expected would be the case, I sought
and was granted another interview. As a result of this interview,
which lasted two and a quarter hours, o Saiyid Shahab agreed to
send another messenger to Suwaiq with instructions to the Aali to
arrest the Baluchis who kidnapped Maryam and her family should they
be found /