File 600/1905 Pt 5 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Sultan of Balahaf' [‎129r] (41/152)

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Confidential.
Explanation of Saleh bin Abdulla of his transaction with Sultan Ghalib for the
sale of his share of the port of Balahaf.
Letter No. 1094, dated the 26th February 1905.
From— Major-General H. M. Mason, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , Aden,
H. h. Hill, Esq., C.T.E., Acting Secretary to the Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. ,
Political Department.
In continuation of this office letter No. 626, dated the 4th February 1905,
I have the honour to now forward an English translation of the explanation
submitted by Sultan Saleh bin Abdulla of his recent transaction with Sultan
Ghalib of Mokalla for the sale of his share of the port of Balahaf.
2. A copy of this office letter to which this purports to be a reply is
attached, as also of a previous letter received from Sultan Saleh bin Abdulla.
3. It appears that the only explanation offered is that he did not consider
the Kaiti, the Sultan of Mokalia, a Foreign power.
Letter No. 619, dated the 4th February 1905.
From— Major-GenkralH, M. Mason, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , Aden,
To— Sultan Salkh bin Abdulla, the Wahidi.
We have received your letter dated the 30th Shawal 1322 in which you tell
us about the sale of your share in Balahaf and Jila to the Sultan of Shehr and
Mokalla. This information we had already received from Sultan Ghalib and
we wrote to you at the time that the matter was being reported to Government.
The Great Government now desire that you should explain how it is that you
sold your share without letting them know in accordance with your treaty
obligations.
This explanation is urgently required by Government and we would ask
you to send it at once.
We would advise you, oh friend, as we have done in our previous letter,
that pending the receipt of final orders of Government about Balahaf affairs
you should preserve the peace.
May you be preserved.
Translation of a letter dated El Hijja 1322 (February 1905).
From— Sultan Saleh bin Abdulla, the Wahidi of Balahaf,
To— Major-Gineral H. M. Mason, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , Aden.
Know, oh friend, that we have visited Balahaf with 100 men, consisting
of Sheikhs and tribesmen, whom Abdul Rab had seen. They told us that
Government did not want us nor it required us to visit Aden. They put us off
by your words from coming to Aden. Subsequently we went to the Kaiti,
who is under your protection, your friend, and has a treaty with you, and in
so doing we have not gone to a Foreign Government and we have not com
mitted any faithless act against you As to your letter to our address, directing
us not to create any disturbance, we are under your command and under the
Government and we are your children. But we fear that the faithless Mohsin
bin Saleh and his brothers, who committed bad deeds against you, us, and the
poor, would construct buildings at Balahaf, w’hen, on the other hand, you have
prevented us from creating any disturbance. Your order is on our heads and
we place our possession at Balahaf under security of God and our master Jesus
Christ as w f ell as the great British Government. No one assisted the great
Government in the matter of the new treaty, which was written on the large
sheets of paper, except ourselves. Mohsin and his brother Ahmed had gone to