‘Précis of correspondence relating to Zanzibar affairs from 1856 to 1872. Prepared by Captain P D Henderson, attached to the Foreign Department’ [‎92r] (23/114)

^ ■ ^
of India-
had been provided with a
a revolution ; he had also
nd dollars, only the day
. to attract to him a ^reat
r for any opportunity to
re by thousands. Whilst
e was certain the French
steamer Lynx arrived here,
Cordeliere had sailed from
jfore, probable that on the
Burgash, as during the
qo food of any description
five thousand peaceable
? their lives and property ;
entire ruin and anarchy,
is of these semi-barbarous
the aid requested, and I
mxiety and responsibility,
3, the Government of
d bv him throughout
* O
t. C onsent of S yed
t .—On receipt of the
Bombay Government
ivy, in Her Majesty's
he substance of the
s destination on the
st returned from an
1 terminated without
; Resident at Bushire
Cruttenden waited on
ion. The latter was
ndia to recognize him
had been prejudged.
)d faith, and said that
ist Zanzibar and his
Toorkee of Sohar, to
treviously in a French
f which were landed,
ie of the question to
the British Consul at
. not help believing
's property, declaring
, Burgash and Faisul,
■nizant of it, and that
of an annual sum to
med—
ng f devoured'' the shares
nily, and of having tailed
ns as guaranteed in the
nd which agreement, in
it was in Syed Mahomed
at daily expected in the
ad remained behind.
.
Events preceding the arbitration by the Government of India.
" On my asking His Highness if there was any clause in that paper stipulatino- that a
certain portion of this sum should be paid to Syed Toorkee, who was to be left unmolested at
oohar, he at first denied it, and then, with some inconsistency, said 'he had not seen the
agreement/ I told him that I had always understood that his brother, Syed Toorkee, was
placed in possession of Sohar by his father's express wish, and he denied it, saving that he had
first conquered the place, and who had so good a right to it, therefore, as himself. ^
***** "Although I allowed His Highness to relate his various and manifold
grievances at length, I declined entering into any discussion as to their merits, as I told His
Highness it would be disrespectful to His Excellency the Governor General, who had consented
to aibitrate, provided His Highness would give the required guarantee, and, strongly urging
him to do this and to weigh carefully all I had told him, I took my leave."
After waiting four days for a reply to the communication of the Govern
ment of India, Commander Cruttenden was at length summoned to hear
read over the reply which Syed Thoweynee proposed to make. This, however,
he found to be anything but satisfactory, very indefinite, and in no way binding
the Sultan to abide by the award of the Governor General. Commander
Cruttenden bluntly refused to be the bearer of a letter having no specific
meaning, and the Sultan, somewhat disconcerted at his refusal, agreed to give
an engagement binding himself to abide by the arbitration. Accordingly,
on the following morning, a letter was brought off, but it turned out to
be couched in precisely the same terms as the one read on the previous
day ; it was, therelore, returned also. Next was brought a letter written and
signed by the Wazir Minister. on behalf of the Sultan, This also Commander Crutten
den refused to take, and at length Syed Thoweynee, by the advice of his brother,
Syed Mahomed bin Saeed, gave the required guarantee, which was forwarded
to Government. Captain Cruttenden placed but little faith on the sincerity
of the Sultan, who had shewn himself extremely reluctant to enter into any
engagement. He observed—
" The award of His Excellency, he feels, will be final and conclusive, and he will have no
further excuse for molesting his brother whilst his own position will probably not be bettered.
" As regards Syed Toorkee, His Highness would not for an instant admit that he was inde
pendent. He styled him his ' wali' or governor, and, as such, considered himself fully em
powered to exercise authority over him.
" After the landing of the stores from the French vessel for Sohar, His Highness ordered
Syed Toorkee to dismiss his present garrison, and replace them with some friends of his own,
which Syed Toorkee refused to do ; and, consequently. His Highness prepared an expedition
against him, which terminated, as before stated, without any result, Syed Toorkee is vet
on the receipt of a monthly stipend from the customs at Muscat/'
19. S econd outbreak of S yed B urgash .—Her Majesty's steamer Assaye,
which had in the meantime proceeded on a cruise, but without Syed Burgash,
for whom other arrangements were made, returned to Zanzibar on the 5th
September. The presence of the vessel gave great confidence to the people,
and the Sultan expressed himself as highly grateful for the moral support
against foreign intrigue afforded by its arrival. Captain Rigby deemed it advis
able to keep the Assaye at Zanzibar until the French Commander-in-Chief,
who was shortly expected in the Cordeliere, had taken his departure, as, even
if that officer did not interfere in the internal affairs of the State, it would be
generally supposed, after what occurred during the previous visit of the
Cordeliere, that he had designs hostile to the Sultan. Later, in September,
Captain Rigby wrote that all was quiet at Zanzibar, and the El Harth tribe
had become quite submissive. Events which had occurred in Muscat had com
pletely detached them from Syed Thoweynee's side. It had rorae to the ears of
* the latter that the El Harth had imposed upon him, and appropriated the money
he had F^nt to Zanzibar for the purpose of exciting a revolution. Thereupon he
seized a ship belonging to Abdullah bin Salem, Chief of the tribe, thus making
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