"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٥‎١] (١٧٨٢/٤٩٤)

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t ranee to refer the question of the Franch flag in ^Oman to the arbitration
of the Hague Tribunal ; and that Court at length, in 1905, arrived at a
finding by which such restrictions were imposed on the grant and continued
use of French flags as robbed the tricolor of its value as an instrument of
French political aggression in 'Oman.
After the rupture of 1899 the relations of the Sultan with the British Improved
Government became satisfactory, and the smoothness of their course was
not again disturbed. In 1902, the Sultan gave an undertaking that he with Britain,
would not permit certain coal fields in the hinterland of Sur to be worked by
any foreign Government or company until the British Government had
been allowed an option of working them in conjunction with himself. In
1905, after two years' consideration, it was decided that negotiations
should be undertaken for the conclusion of a new British Commercial
Treaty with the Masqat Government to take the place of that of 1891.
In 1904, in the course of a general adjustment of political differences
which took place between Britain and France, the question of a British
protectorate over the Sultanate of 'Oman was again considered ; but France
was unwilling to relinquish any of her rights under the Declaration
of 1862.
Russia seems to have recognised that she did not possess any vital in- Eussian
terests in the Sultanate of 'Oman, and consequently to have left the further- a ^ en ^ s ' etC •
ance of any policy there in which she may have been a partner entirely to
her French ally. In 1901, however, two Russians arrived at Masqat on
the 9th March and remained a week ; one of them was a brother of Count
Leontieft' of Abyssinian fame and had made the voyage from Marseilles to
Aden with his better known relation ; his companion at Masqat was a
M. Ermtere. The pair paid several visits to the French Vice-Consulate and
had more than one interview with the Sultan, but their conversation was
so mysterious that the Sultan, an intelligent man, was unable to understand
the drift of it. Eventually, the day before their departure, they petitioned
His Highness for written permission to deal in arms at Masqat, and were
informed in reply that the trade was free to all, and that no written permis
sion to engage in it was required.
A few months later a rumour, current once before in 1899, became
rife, that the Russian Government intended to establish a consulate
at Masqat, and the Government of India recommended that definite instruc
tions should be given to the British Political Agent at Masqat as to his
attitude in regard to this question. His Majesty's Government accordingly
directed that the Sultan, in case of his applying for advice, should be coun
selled to discourage the project upon commercial grounds.