'Muscat Dhows Arbitration. In the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. Grant of the French Flag to Muscat Dhows. The case on behalf of the Government of His Britannic Majesty.' [‎9v] (27/208)

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the whole transaction is colourable and fraudulent,
and the Prench Colonial authorities are deceived
by the machinations of these Arabs, and are
thereby induced to grant licences to such persons
in a manner inconsistent with Articles XXX to
LXI of the Brussels Act, and not warranted, by
the municipal law of France or the Colonies as to
the issue of ships' papers or the grant to ships of
the French flag, and also in a manner inconsistent
with international law and comity.
Subjects of the Sultan resident in his dominions
who have obtained French flags and papers in the
illegal and fraudulent manner above described
have used the flag and papers for the purpose of
the Slave Trade.
Many reports have been received from British
naval ofiicers in the Indian Seas and from the
British residents in Oman and on the Persian
Gulf which establish this fact. Moreover, on
returning to the waters and territory of Muscat
these men have claimed—
(1) That the Sultan is not entitled to board or
search their vessels, or to exercise any jurisdiction
over them;
(2) That they are not subject to the Sultan's
authority while in his territory, but are entitled
to be treated as proteges of France and to be
exempt from his laws as to customs, quarantine,
and other matters.
In these contentions they have been on
several occasions supported by the French Consul
in Muscat and by the French Government.
In 1894 as many as twenty-three dhows, hailing
from Sur, and owned and manned by Suris,
appear to have possessed French papers. A list
of these vessels, given in No. in the Appendix,
was communicated to the French Government on
the 9th February, 1895, with a request for an
investigation with a view to ascertaining whether
the vessels were really registered.
In consequence of this despatch, a French war
ship, the " Troude," went to Sur to verify the
papers of any dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. flying the French flag. The
results of this inquiry were not communicated to
the Sultan of Muscat or the British Government,
but the Commander of the vessel was understood
by the British Agent at Muscat to state that the
practice of granting to Suri dhows the French flag
and papers at Obokh had been stopped.
On the 28th J une, 1895, this statement was
brought to the attention of the French Govern-
v January 20,
1898, Fagan.
See September 26,
1894 ; June 18,
1900. Cox. in-
closure 7, in No. 49,
file, p. 53.
Hayes Sadler to
Wilson, September
26, 1894, and
in closures 2 and 3,
in No. 13, Suri
dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. papers.
Lord Kimberley
to Lord Dufferin,
February 9,1895,
Nos. 14 and 15,
Suri dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. papers.
v. March 26,1895,
inclosure 3 in
No. 16, Sari dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean.
papers.