'File 14/115 VII Annex (B 9) Abu Musa oxide: collected background material on the case' [‎129r] (268/1904)

{31) Inthe document of 19th August 1898 *
. . expressly undertakes to 'pay
due. This is absolutely inconsistent with
balmily tye fetti of the mdde mines and
a right to the enjoyment in his own name
Abu Musa , and that he could exercise this —
lo has not been wntended that Sliaikli Sagar granted only the rent of the oxide
mines (see item 15).
It was perfectly Jjaturai for Shaikh Sagar, entering this commercial concern
as a private individual, on the same terms as the others, to share the payment
of the ground rent. He would naturally have been debited with this share even
if he had been taking the rent himself. Shaikh Salim only enjoyed the produce
adversely to the private individual Sagar and subject to Shaikh Sagar's pleasure
as ruling Chief and to specific conditions also items 32 and 37).
(32) On 26th December 1898 * * * * * * *
leased all the deposits of mica on Abu M —Regarding this mica concession,
see Shaikh Sagar's observations (Annex 2). (I may mention, for the informa
tion of Government, that the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. Agent, Abdul Latif, made no report
whatever of it, either at the time of its execution or at any other time'; and during
, the progress of, and discussions regarding, this case he can only be regarded as
having designedly suppressed all mention of it. His excuse that the project
fizzled out and that he consequently did not think it worth reporting, cannot be
taken seriously.) So far as Shtikh Sagar is concerned I have no doubt that the
concession never having been taken tip, and a decade having elapsed since it died
a natural death, he had really forgotten all about it in 1908. This is not at all
surprising with such reckless people as these Shaikhs, who keep no records and
live in the present.
I believe the history of the so-called " mica " project is this. The captain
of one of Messrs. Strick's steamers which took a consignment of oxide from Abu
Muf a, mistook some thin strata of gypsum, which is common on the island, for
mica; told the oxide concessionaires that it was valuable and advised them
to get a contract for it. It proved not to be mica. I think we Should rely in
regard to this item, oil the fines given in Shaikh Sagar's explanation, namely, "that
he was fully consulted and accorded his concurrence ; he having admittedly
allowed Shaikh Salim conditionally and within reasonable limits, to enjoy the pro
duce of the island, and being glad that he should derive sufficient therefrom to
allow him no excuse for importuning his nephew for money.
(33) On 6th January 1899 {23rd Shaaban
Samaiyeh the draft of a memorandum of Ass
oxide and 'the mica mines.' —Th^MemoraDdum of Association as given in Annex 14 of
the German Eejoinder is not the one which accompanied Abdul Latifs letter of
23rd Shaaban 1316 to Hasan Samaiyeh, but a modified version which Abdul Latif
never accepted.
It will be noted that no signatures are given on the Annex in question, for
the reason that the document was never signed up, and the Memorandum was
never accepted nor became operative. For further details on the subject of this
Memorandum of Association, see Abdul LatifV statement (Annex 12) and item
50 of this report. All the original documents are in my possession.
(34) In the document relative to the mica
importance to the effect that the lessees and
trees hut no other trees. This provision
island as o^if'.-rrThe. Keshk^shuh is a desert shrub used for burning. Fire
wood is a great difficulty on these barren islands, and if no express stipulation
had been made there would have been a danger of the concessionaries' coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory.
indenting on the date palms of other f arden trees which Salim had tried to grow.
This stipulation is no evidence that S ^lim disposed of the island as owner. He
was admiitedly the tenant and settler and was allowed to enjoy the produce as
long as he was allowed to occupy that position.