'File 36/3 Lease of Bander Shweikh' [‎86v] (172/556)

The words in italics and between brackets seemed to me impossible to
accept, as they would make the lease a lease on sufferance. These words
were twice inserted by Sheikh Mubarak but, in the afternoon of the 19th
August, he eventually consented to their omission. In the same afternoon, he
told me that he objected to the signing of the agreement, but that he would
enclose the draft copied out fairly by his own secretary with a covering letter
in which he would say that he approved the draft and would exchange it for a
letter of acceptance signed by me” as soon as I was fully authorised to accept.
There seemed to be no reasonable objection to this course, so I agreed.
The draft, duly copied out, with the objectionable words omitted was
handed by the Sheikh’s Secretary Abdul Aziz bin Salim bin Badar, to my Moolla
Abdulla who brought it to me on the morning of the 20th August. There was,
however, no covering letter and 1 am endeavouring to obtain one.
A slight addition was made to sixthly, secondly, “ only the fishing nets are
to me, Sheikh Mubarak.” These fish nets or weirs are, from their nature, con
fined to the broad shallow flats to the east, north and north-west of the island.
Should it be used for a quarantine station, it would be necessary to
buy out the fishermen which would probably be done cheaply enough. Other
wise from the point of view of harbour works, the fishing nets do not obstruct and
might well be let alone.
Translation of proposed draft acceptance of Sheikh Mubarak's agreement to lease
Bunder Shweikh foreshore.
In the name of God, the Exalted. This agreement is from me, Major Knox,
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. of the precious Imperial English Government in Koweit on behalf
of the precious Imperial English Government to Sheikh Mubarak-us-Subah, ruler
of Koweit.
And afterwards the reason of writing this paper is that I, Major Knox,
Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. of the precious Imperial English Government at Koweit on
behalf of the precious Imperial English Government and by permission from
it granted for this affair specially, there has come into my hands from
Mubarak-us-Subah, ruler of Koweit, a lease of the lands to the south of Shweikh
Bunder dated the day of ^ 1325 H., corresponding
to the day of in the year 1907, A.D,, and 1 , Major
Knox, on the part of the precious Imperial English Government, have accepted
all the conditions detailed in the aforesaid lease ; and, regarding what Sheikh
Mubarak has written in the close of that lease that he hopes for the favourable
notice of the Government and its kindness on him and his heirs after him,
the precious Imperial English Government has honoured me with the permission
that I may inform Sheikh Mubarak, on behalf of the precious Imperial
Government, that the Government does not wish to interfere in the affairs of
Koweit except for the profit of its (Koweit) people and the increase of trade and
knowledge and friendship between the English Government and the people of
Koweit and, as regards Sheikh Mubarak-us-Subah and his heirs after him (the
Government) does not desire to see in Koweit a ruler other than them ever and
the perpetual desire of the Government is that it should not see the Sheikh of
Koweit other than strong, independent and not beholden to any one whatever
and that the friendship and agreement between the Government and the Sheikhs
of Koweit may be perpetual.