"الملف 35/64 III المعادن في عُمان. أبحاث علماء جيولوجيا مدرساي" [و‎‎٢‎٢] (٢٧٦/٥٢)

help of the Beni.AjDU Hassan to ensure our "being able to
spend one or two months in safety and at leisure in their
country, To provide against any risk of failure by this
means,I suggest that one of the Indian Marine Steamers with
two or three companies of Native Infantry stand by at Khor
Jerama in case of emergency,and the natives^given to under
stand that if any difficulties are put in our way troops
will be landed.
The question of transport and commissariat for the troops
if they were required to land would have to be considered
but the distance to be travelled would in any case probably
not be more than a forced march of 80 or 30 miles from the
port of debarkation and this question would not offer any
insurmountable difficulty,
(4.) The last point on which T was directed to report
was as to the
best means of working the coal .
In forming the opinion expressed in my preliminary report on
this point I did not anticipate that the samples .of coal
would prove of such satisfactory quality as the analysis has
shown. Since receipt of Foreign Department letter under re
ply I have discussed with the Sultan the question .of direct
working by Government or by private company. His Highness
is willing to leave the decision on this point to Government^
the details to be arranged subsequently.
It is difficult for me to offer any opinion on the financial
aspects of these alternative methods which would be of any
value,I can only express the view that from a local stand
point the advantage seems to me to lie with an arrangement
by which the British Government would work the seams direct
ly. If a private company were to undertake the work the Sul
tan would have to guarantee adequate protection to the en
terprise and it is not improbable that the British authori
ties would be troubled a good deal with disputes between the
Company