‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’ [‎90v] (20/114)

Events preceding the arbitration by the Government of India
Muscat, this may still offer the means of bringing about an amicable understanding, and
Captain Rigby would do well to encourage it. But the arrangement should not bear the
character of a subsidy from a subordinate government to a superior one. It snould be a free
gift on the part of Syed Majid, in accordance with the previous engagement, to which,
although Syed Thoweynee has forfeited the right to claim execution of it, he is still willing to
revert.
" If by the above course we should not succeed in averting hostilities, and if a more
authoritative arbitration should be found to be necessary, then the first step must be to obtain
the formal consent and signature of both parties to articles of arbitration, obliging each to
abstain from aggression during the arbitration, and to abide by the decision of the Governor
General.
" This would give the Government of India the right to enforce compliance with its
award, and it seems likely that nothing short of it would secure compliance.
The Governor General in Council has strong objections to entangling the Government
of India in any negotiations and obligations of this kind, still, rather than that the dispute
between the Chiefs of Muscat and Zanzibar should grow into open hostility, giving opportunity
for the intervention of other powers, the Governor General iu Council is willing that the
responsibility above described should be undertaken."
15. P rogress of events in M uscat and Z anzibar .—Things continu
ed in an unsettled condition in Muscat during the months of May and June,
byed ihoweynee s emissary continued to urge upon Syed Majid "to accede to
his master's demands, especially with regard to the payment of 40,000 dollars
annually, the cession of the Port of Mombass on the coast of Africa, and the
renunciation of the custody, as his father's executor, of the property of the
young children of the late Imam. Captain Rigby wrote—
I have a strong impression that Syed Thoweynee's only object in wishing to obtain
possession of the Port of Mombass is to make it over to the French in some form. Captain
^ sa y s —' There is, perhaps, not a more magnificent harbour iu the world
than Mombass The surrounding country is fertile and healthy, there being no swamps nor
stagnant pools. 0 1
Ihe Chiefs of the El Harth tribe and Syed Burgash were actively foment
ing disturbances with the view of intidimating Syed Majid, and the latter
_ _ ,. „ only hesitated to seize his brother and the prin-
riLd LnHonST'" ci P al E1 Harth the fear of preeipi-
Cons., 2oth February 1859. Nos. 46.50 tating an outbreak, in which much innocent
" nth June i8)9[ '' blood would necessarily be shed. On one oc-
„ 29th July 1859. 27-32 c. casion, when the Sultan proposed to seize Syed
n | _ . _ , Pargash quietly, the latter was informed by
the .b reneh Consul of the design against him.*
a, ,l ltu ' le of the ! [ai ' th tribo became at length so threatening that
Syed Ma,)id was compelled to adopt decisive measures against them, and,
SpvpraW tv 011 1 J ? 18 —' 116 arrested a11 ,heir principal Chiefs.
Several ol them were released in giving security for their future good behaviour,
hut five, who were the most active in fomenting disturbances, were confined in
beTn' albXl"? '' WaS ^ bdulla Bin Salem ' who has alread y
Chi^, of K (Para r? ra , ph 3) aS0 ? e0f tlle lnost infl iential and dangerous
Chiefs of the tribe. On learning of the capture of their Chiefs, the El Harth
Ftdt^tTt 1 ^, their slaves ' threatened to set fire to the town
main 0 the bultan firm, however, they dispersed quietly.
reported thlrs^ri! , 0, 1 BvR(SMTi.-Onthe 21st October Captain Eigby
v. fi j i -i l^urgash had broken out into open rebellion against hisj
brother, and had. on the 8th idem, fled from the towf of W ter lZ taken
up a strong position in the interior of the island. He was ^oon joinJd by the