'File 35/64 III Minerals in Oman. Madrasai geologists' researches' [‎107v] (223/276)

They stated that they belonged to the firm of Messrs. Hills Sawyer & Co
of Meadows Street, Bombay. Further enquiries, however, elicited that they
are not actually in the employ, but were at their own request, given permission
to canvass for orders for motor cars, machinery, especially electrical, and similar
goods which they could sell on such terms as they pleased, returning trade
prices to the firm and retaining any profit they could for themselves.
They proposed to travel from Maskat to Mohammerah, Basrah, Baghdad
and Constantinople and thence to England.
They also enquired about Kuwait, but were told their chances of doin^
any business there were small.
They have no passports for travel in Turkey and indeed bear no official
recommendation of any kind. They were warned against prospecting in the
hills of Oman on their own account as they proposed to do at first and that the
Consul could not, without consulting higher authority, support any request of
theirs to His Highness the Sultan to be permitted to do so.
Subsequently, however, they applied themselves to the Palace for permission
and were granted an escort, as appears from other enclosures attached.
They gave their names as follows : —
(1) Mr. K. Murthi, a Telegu Brahman.
(2) Mr. Munji Topan, Gujrati.
(3) Mr. Bayanker Prativadi, a Tamil Brahman.
Description —
No. 1 is a tall man and wears spectacles, blood-shot eyes and dark com
plexion, wears English clothes and a khaki sola topee.
No. 2 a well-built young man, wears a turban with English clothes ; face
is pock-marked; fair complexion.
No. 3 is slight and thin and rather short, wears a white helmet and
English clothes.
All three speak English well and fluently. No one of the three has any
working knowledge of Arabic.
They took a room in the town and proposed to stay for a fortnight. They
have been now in Oman nearly three months and talk of making a long stay.
They say that they have sent samples of the minerals found by them to England
and expect replies from firms who are interested in mining enterprise.
Sub-enclosure 2.
Statement of 3/r. Murthi.
Mr. K. Murthi came to-day and produced various samples of the geological
specimens he found in the course of his travels. He states as follows:—
"We went in a boat and reached Bistan. It was about hours' sail down
the coast to the East past Sidap which was about a quarter way. We halted at
Bistan a day and a half. There was nothing there. He went up a mountain
torrent to a hill about 7 or 8 miles away. I think our course was South and
slightly "West. We found nothing in that hill. I was accompanied by an
Arab, Shaikh Ibrahim, who knows a smattering of Hindustani. Under his
guidance we went to the villages of Qabil and Haboobiya. Our compass broke
the first day out and we tried to get another from His Highness, but he could
not supply us with another. We were out 23 days altogether and stayed at
Qabil for 5 days owing to Mr. Munji's illness and in another place we camped
in a river bed and stayed 4 days when I got ill. Thus we did 14 days' travelling
and returned to Muttra on the 1st November. I do not think we ever got
more than 20 miles away from Maskat. We went out from Maskat, as I have
said, South-east and came back to Muttra via Darsait. My notes of the voyage
were taken from me by Shubaili. We never did more than 8 miles a day and
on some days only 3 and 4. For instance our last march was only from Darsait
to Muttra. A negro slave, a mason, called Sawailim and two local guides were
always with us, but Shaikh Ibrahim was too old for prospecting in the hills.
In our searches I suppose we covered 10 to 12 miles around our camp. He
found traces of corundum, lead and manganese. I think the corundum might