"الإصلاحات في مسقط: الجمارك؛ الموارد المالية، والمفاوضات مع العُـمانيين" [و‎‎١‎٦‎١] (٥٠٨/٣٢٦)

I understand that the H Clio M and "Odin" or "Espiegle"
are comirig baok here - they are old Gulf ships.
Muscat is a depressing place I think - I had a year of it
one©.- But anyhow an attempt is being made now to get the Sultan 1
aflairs on a "better footing,. Formerly H.M's Government "were not
keen on interfering ard the late Sultan was not at all anxious
to b© interfered with; not to mention the French who didn 1 1 want
interference either - except of their own.
I don't think things look very hopeful myself but I take
rather a more sanguine view than you express in the last para
of your letter: perhaps that was a fit of the blues?
M
P,S« The aboy'- vaa written to send by the Uommander of Lawrence
but owing to interruptions it could not b :• copied, in time and got
left. Directly. Hughes Hallett left I found your letter of 13th
I find I answered most of it all right from memory.
I need only say that we have to remember that not only have
we got into a muddle by helping the Sultan but he or rather nis
father owes "a good deal of )v s difficulties to his co-operation
with us - in the Arms Traffic and other matters, to which his
sub jets inland objected - not realizing that the Sultan 's co-
ODeration was, at least to some extent, due to .^oroe majeure.
It is thus certainly up to us to support the sultan and I am
with you every tine when you want to do so. u as stated
above it can^ always be done when ships are required unless
we have at least S gunboats In the uulf,
Britomart was in point of fact just starting on a trip down
Gulf to Jask and Muscat about end of January «hen Commander- I
in-Chief wired that he wanted her at Koweit on F^ruury 8th,
and as urgency at Muscat appeared to'have blown over I agreed
with the senior Naval Officer that it was hardly worth while
to
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