ملف ١٣/ ٢ II "أنشطة تجار الرقيق في منطقة مسقط" [و‎‎١‎٠] (١٤٢/١٩)

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be found to be present. The messenger was to be Sheikh Saif bin
Arar of Yankul in whom I had every confidence and who I felt
sure would not permit the Wall to reply that the Baluchis were not
in his area if in fact they really were and the Wall had made no
effort to carry out Saiyid Shahab bin Faisal's instructions. At
the same time Saiyid Shahab bin Faisal said that he would send a
car to Huetaq to bring Sheikh Hilal bin Hamad to Muscat.
Two days later the Representative asked for an interview
at which he informed me that the Baluchis had left the Suwaiq area
and that Sheikh Hilal bin Hamad had arrived from Rustaq and denied
that he had had anything at all to do with the case.
The Representative said in conclusion that in future he
would not make any reference to the Wali or to the Sa'adi Sheikh
but should another case occur he would send the complaining relat
ive with a reasonable force of police or watchmen to Suwaiq under
the orders of a special messenger who would institute an immediate
search. I agreed with him that this procedure was the only one
which might result in the recovery of the kidnapped persons.
4 # in the presae'Vcase I think all that can be has been done
to recover the children. I do not think it advisable to ask the
Sultan to take action against Sheikh Hilal bin Hamad as there is
no real evidence although I have not the least doubt that he has
been the principal actor in the drama on this side of the Gulf of
Oman.
The disturbance caused over the present case will be
sufficient to deter him from resuming his profitable participation
*
in slave dealing for some time to come and I hope that should he
resume his activities it will be possible to obtain evidence on
which the Sultan will feel himself able to take decisive action,
rfhen I next have an opportunity of discussing matters with His
Highness I will raise this question and suggest that a new
Governor would /