"مسقط. تساؤل حول إمكانية إنشاء قاعدة بحرية لتستخدمها سفن بريطانيا في خور قوي أو في مكان آخر في أراضي مسقط يتوافق مع الاتفاقيات الدولية الحالية لحكومة بريطانيا". [و‎‎٢] (١٢/٣)

3
Muscat and France, 1770-1934.
1770-1891.
13. There appears to be no recorded French connection with Muscat (and
certainly none of any importance) before the second half of the eighteenth century. Lor. I, 416,
In the second half of the eighteenth century intermittent relations were established
with the rulers of Muscat through the French Agents at Baghdad and in the
Mauritius. Those relations were temporarily interrupted in 1781, but were
renewed in 1785. Relations remained generally friendly up to 1798, in which year
the Sultan entered into an agreement with Great Britain under which he undertook
to co-operate with her against France. Overtures made by the French Government
in 1799 were rejected, and the Sultan in 1803 declined to receive a French mission
or a French Consul who had been appointed to Muscat by Napoleon. In 1807,
however, a treaty was concluded between Muscat and the French Captain-General at
Mauritius. A revised treaty was substituted in 1808 and a French Consular Agent
sent to reside at Muscat, where he remained until 1810. French influence, now for
a short time predominant in Muscat, disappeared with the capture of Mauritius and
Reunion by Great Britain in 1810. From 1815 onwards relations were again re
established. A commercial convention finally came into existence and (after prior
reference by the Sultan to H.M. Government) a regular Commercial Treaty was
concluded with France in 1844. No French representative was, however, accepted
in Muscat up to the death of Saiyid Said in 1856, and while the French authorities
in Mauritius appear to have attached importance to maintaining the connection
of France with the Sultanate, those relations were of no special significance.
14. There were no developments of importance between 1844 and the conclusion
of the Anglo-French Declaration of 1802, which was, of course, concluded without
reference to Muscat, nor did the French Government show any signs of greater
interest in Muscat between 18G^ and 1891. In 1874 a French Vice-Consul appears Muscat Pre-
to have been appointed to Muscat (under the terms of the French Treaty of 1844), c* 8 ' § 205 '
but the appointment never took effect. In 1881 a British subject (who was already
acting as Consul for the United States of America) was appointed to act as French '
Consul, but the period for which he held this post is not clear.
1891-1899.
15. From 1891 onwards there is a marked increase in French interest in Oman.
At about this period France and Russia had entered into a combination for the Lor. 1,547.
purpose of diminishing British influence in the Persian Gulf and of promoting a
joint policy of their own in that region. In Oman the task of opposing British
interests devolved on France. In 1891 the French Government protested (without
foundation) that the rule of succession to the Sultanate of Oman had recently been
altered under the advice of the Government of India. In 1893 an undertaking was
given in the French Chamber that a Vice-Consul should be established at Muscat,
and unsuccessful endeavours were made by a French subject to obtain a site for a
coal shed at Sur.
16. In 1894 a French Vice-Consul was appointed and took up his post. Between
1894 and 1899 no effort was spared to increase French prestige in Muscat at the
expense of H.M. Government. In 1895 a French war vessel reached Muscat only
a few days too late to assist the Sultan in dealing with insurgents against his
authority. In 1896 France protested against assistance given by H.M. Government
to the Sultan to re-establish his authority in Dhofar, on the grounds that it was
contrary to the Declaration of 1862. In 1897 they themselves offered the services
of a French war vessel, which were, however, declined, to suppress the Dhofar
rebellion ; and in 1898 they acquired, without prior reference to H.M. Government,
a site for a coaling shed in Muscat territory. The difficult situation which
resulted is described in more detail in the note on the Bunder Gisseh incident in
paragraphs 30 to 36 below. Suffice it to say that alter considerable diplomatic
discussion and as the result of the delivery of an ultimatum to the Sultan by
H.M. Government, the Sultan in 1899 cancelled the lease and agreement was
reached between the British and French Governments on the basis of the division
between France and H.M. Government, with the Sultan's approval, of an area which
had since 1874 been occupied by British coaling sheds.
The French Flag Question, 1899-1905.
17. Since a period prior even to the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862 the French
had been in the habit of granting the protection of their flag to Muscat vessels—