"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٥‎٧‎٠] (١٧٨٢/٧١٣)

Improved sit
uation.
570
Majesty 's Government were also of opinion that 'Omani subjects
should be made aware that they would be severely punished for
infringements of the award, and that they were at liberty to renounce at
any time the right of using the French flag-. The French Government
would be approached with reference to these matters, and would also be
asked to keep the Sultan and the British Consul informed of transfer
ences of the flag from one vessel to another, and to supply both these
authorities annually with a list of the surviving flag-holders and remain
ing vessels.
Relations of the Sultan with Great Britain after 1899.
Visit of
Saiyid Tai-
mur to India,
1902-03.
anir;
After February 1899 the demeanour of the Sultan towards the
British representative at Masqat greatly improved, and in the following
month Saiyid Faisal paid his first friendly visit to Major Fagan at the
British Political Agency; but for a time he continued to show suspicion
and seemed to hope that the late action of the Government of India
would be repudiated by Her Majesty's Government,—an idea in
which he was probably encouraged by M. Ottavi. In the summer
of 1899 Captain Cox was appointed Political Agent at Masqat, where,
duiing the next four years, his able and sympathetic guidance of the
Sultan was to produce the happiest results. In May 1900 the
Sultan, though he declined to dismiss Muhammad-bin-'Azzan from the
Wazirate, agreed to substitute for him, in dealings with the British
ex-minister Muhammad-bin-Sa^id, whose political sym
pathies were British.
The Sultan received a cordial invitation to attend the Coronation
Darbar at Delhi on the 1st of January 1903 as a guest of the Govern
ment of India, or to send a deputation to represent him, in case he were
unable to be present. Not venturing to absent himself from his
kingdom for so long a period as would have been necessary, Saiyid Faisal
sent his eldest son Taimur in his stead, attended by Saiyid Yusuf Zawawi,
one of His Highnesses friends and advisers, and by Ahmad-bin-Nasir,
overnorof Matrah. Major Cox accompanied the deputation as Politi-
ca Officer Saiyid Taimur was the bearer of valuable presents of
Masqat gold work for His Majesty King Edward, which he delivered
tothe Viceroy; and at Masqat the Sultan honoured the day of the
ar ar y ring a salute of 101 guns in honour of the King-Emperor
and by paying, m person, an official visit of congratulation to the British
jgt' 1
■ja
ifcti