File 600/1905 Pt 6 'Aden Hinterland: Upper Yaffai; treaties with Sultan Kahtan and other Chiefs' [‎96v] (188/212)

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a stipend. To their minds this was the essential point of the whole pro
ceeding. There is no precedent for any such provision being included in a
protective treaty with any of the Aden tribes. Ostensibly stipends are granted
by Government on account of the services rendered by the Sultan, or tribe, in
keeping open the roads and protecting travellers. This the Dthubi have duly-
undertaken to do, and although there has so far been little trade with the
country of the Upper Yaffai, it undoubtedly produces coffee and other articles
of export, while the opening out of so well populated tract may be expected to
increase the demand for piece-goods and other imports. The protective clauses
follow exacUy those of the treaty of 1895 with the Lower Yaffai as directed
in the telegram of 4th May, already quoted.
14. The treaty with the Mausatta is on the same lines, hut it took much
longer to arrange, and finally it was agreed to leave out the first of the pro
tective clauses. In translating the phrase “ gracious favour and protection ” the
Sheikhs could not get over the word “ humaiyah,” which is the nearest Arabic
equivalent for “ protection They considered that it would have the appearance
of placing them in the same position, as regards the British Government, as
their own dependent tribes hold towards the Yaffai in general, and they frankly
said that this would not be pleasing to their tribesmen. Nevertheless, they
readily accepted the succeeding clause, which contains the undertaking to
refrain from entering into any correspondence or agreement with a foreign
power; also the next clause, binding themselves and their successors not to cede
or otherwise dispose of, any part of their territory to any power other than the
British Government.
15. It was pointed out to them that, if they insisted on the omission of
the first clause, they would place themselves at a disadvantage, in so much that
they would be binding themselves to certain things without obtaining an equi
valent. They replied that they were aware of the fact, but were content
to give the required undertakings without a formal promise of protection,
trusting that the British Government would come to their assistance if neces
sary. They added that, as regards the Turks, they were confident of being able
to keep them out of their country.
1(5. I may add that, if I had pressed the protective clause, nothing would
have persuaded the Sheikhs that we had not ulterior designs on their country,
and as the omission of the clause clearly diminishes the responsibilities of
the British Government as regards the Mausatta, it seemed best to let it
without making any greater demur.
17. It will be noticed that both in this treaty and in that with the Dthubi
the dependencies of the tribes are not named. This was purposely done in
accordance with the instructions contained in the Secretary of State’s teleo-ram
of 4th May to avoid pledges likely to cause difficulty when demarcation takes
place. The most important dependency of these two sections appears to be
the Shaibi country, the inclusion of which in the British protectorate has been
settled.
18. With regard to the stipends, I think a grant of forty dollars a month
to the Dthubi and fifty dollars to the Mausatta may be regarded as moderate.
It was not until after much negotiation that the latter was accepted, old Nakib
Ali Askar letting out, in the course of conversation, that they had expected to
get 300 dollars a month.
19. Sultan Kahtan came in almost on the heels of the Mausatta with a
great following of over 200 men. This was a far larger number than he should
have brought down, and an effort was made to reduce their numbers
at Dthala, but practically without success. The first week of his stay in
Aden was therefore taken up in getting rid of this crowd, all of
whom expected entertainment, and some small present on leaving. We
succeeded with some difficulty in reducing the party to 28 persons, and
were proceeding to settle the matter of the treaty, with every expectation of a
favourable result, when letters were received from Yaffa, through the Sultan of
Lahej, that there had been a sort of domestic revolution among the adherents