File 600/1905 Pt 5 'Aden Hinterland: Treaty with Sultan of Balahaf' [‎173v] (130/152)

wreck and to restore the specie, which he was all along willing to surrender.
This contention is not a new one, but he has maintained it from the very com
mencement as will appear from his letters to this Kesidency, dated the 25th July
and 7th September 1902 (copies of translations enclosed). Of course, in the
letters to Sultan Ghalib referred to by Government, Mohsin appears to have
spoken of surrendering the money if he were allowed to retain a share of it.
To this he has made no reference in his present statement, hut it seems to me
that in writing to the above effect to Sultan Ghalib he really meant only to
claim salvage money like other Chiefs on the coast, as will be evident from his
letter of 7th September 1902 cited above. It appears to me, therefore, that
there is sincerity in Mohsin’s explanation.
4. As to how I reconcile Mohsin’s complete submission with his refusal
to submit to the arrangements at Balahaf made by the Sheikhs in 1894 and
confirmed by Government in 1895, I can only say that he has now seen the
error of his ways by realizing the power of Government, the magnitude of which
I took great care to impress upon him both in my letter asking him to come in
and also at the interviews I had with him. It would appear on enquiry from
Sultan Abdulla bin Hussain and Abdul Kadir bin Abdul Latif and other
Sheikhs, who are all present with me, that Mohsin bin Saleh was not deposed
as stated in the document (marked E, herewith attached, with translation for
the perusal of Government). I 1 he two Sheikhs mentioned by name also state
on being shown the document that they never saw it previous to this, and that
their signatures are forged. I have taken their signatures which are absolutely
different from those in the document. It will be seen that the signatures on
the document are in the hand-writing of one person, which seems to prove that
the document is a fictitious one. However this may be, from all the conversa
tions I have had with Mohsin I fully believe that he really means to be loyal
and submissive to Government, and the reluctance that he has manifested to
accept the present Sultanate *is due more to a sense of pride, making it difficult
for him to serve under a man who is a mere puppet, rather than a wish to be a
candidate for the titular Chiefship. He has, however, now promised that he will
submit to the existing position, that is, as the Sultanate now stands, if Govern
ment are disinclined to alter it, that his future conduct will be loyal and good,
that he will co-operate to the utmost in maintaining the position sanctioned by
Government; and as a guarantee of his assurance he has agreed to give the
only security he is in a position to offer, viz., that one of his two brothers,
Ahmed and Husen, and he himself will each remain at a time in Aden, Husen
taking his turn first and his own turn being undertaken within three months
from the date of his return to Balahaf after the receipt of the orders of Govern
ment, as he requires time to arrange about his private affairs.
5. The exact terms and promises on which Mohsin is at present in Aden
will be apparent from the letter which I wrote to him asking him to come in
(copy enclosed).
6. As to the shares in the port of Balahaf, I read out to Sultan Abdulla
bin Hasan named above the list given in paragraph 11 of General Jopp’s
letter No. 20, dated the 5th May 1891. He tailed to understand the distribu
tion therein given and stated that it was incorrect, and that the original distri
bution was as shown in the accompanying statement. But he explained that
subsequently, about six years ago, a re-distribution took place which is shown
below the statement mentioned above, the documents pertaining to that dis
tribution being written in his own hand.
7. With reference to the concluding portion of the last paragraph of your
letter under reply, I would add that in view of what has been stated above
it seems to me that there will be nobody competent forthcoming to bind the
tribe by a document similar to document E of 1894.