"جزء ١. رقم ٧٣٣ لسنة ١٩٠٤. تحكيم مسقط. (١٩٠٤-١٩٠٨)." [و‎‎٣‎١‎٣] (٧٧٨/٦٣٢)

No. 204j dated Maskat, the 9th May 1904
From-CAPTAIN W. G. Grey, His Britannic Majesty's Consul and Political Agent,
To— L. W. Dane, Esq., Secretary to the Government of India m the Foreign
Department.
I have the honour to refer to my No. 136, dated 28th March last, with its
enclosures, and to state that I visited Debai on the 28th ultimo in H M S
Lapwing, in order to make enquiries into the matter in question.
2. I find that there is no question of plundering. The two boats arrived
off Debai in the morning of the day (some eight months ago) on which the ac
cident took place. A strong gale was blowing, and on their attempting to
enter the narrow Khor or channel towards evening, the Fath-ul-Khair which
was leading suddenly swerved across the bows of the Debai boat and stuck in
the shallow sandy bottom of the channel. The Debai Captain was unable in
the storm to turn his boat in time, and a collision took place which resulted in
the loss of the Eath-ul-Khair, she being struck by her companion’s bows. The
Captain of the Fath-ul-Khair sold what was left of his ship and her implements
and returned to Suwaikh and Maskat where he obtained letters from His
Highness the Sultan and the Wali of Suwaikh addressed to Shaikh Maktum of
Debai asking for enquiry to he made and satisfaction given. He then returned
to Debai.
3. Shaikh Maktum, as is usually done in such cases, referred the matter to
a religious court, and it was ultimately arranged as shewn in the document, of
which a translation is attached. The document is authentic, and there is no
doubt that the owner of the Eath-ul-Khair agreed to the amount of compensa
tion awarded to him and that he signed the paper.
4. Subsequently, it appears, he forwarded to Shaikh Maktum a letter from
the French Consul demanding further compensation, and Monsieur Laronce
evidently took up the matter without being in possession of all the facts. I hope
to be able to shew him how matters stand and induce him to desist from
further action, as it is evident that justice has been done as far as possible.
With this object I hope to proceed to Soor in H.M.S. Sphinx during this
week, and will inform you as to the result of my interview with him.
Enclosure No. I.
In the name of God } the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Let every one who comes across this paper (of the Muslim doctors, etc.)
know that Ali bin Salim bin Mahomed bin Ta’eeb and Abdulla bin Saloom
appeared before us. The aforesaid Ali bin Salim claimed from the aforesaid
Abdulla that he had been the cause of the destruction of his boat which had
stuck in the mouth of the Debai Channel. The aforesaid Abdulla denied this
in the presence of the Qazi and a company of Mussalmen, so the Qazi demanded
from Ali bin Salim lawful proof which he was not able to supply, then it came
to Abdulla to swear (his innocence). We arranged peace between them for
300 dollars and they agreed to this of their own free wills, they were not com-
pelled in the matter, neither did they agree unwillingly. Abdulla paid up the
aforesaid money and Ali bin Salim took it, and there remains no claim or right
ful demand in this matter to Ali bin Salim ; let this not be hidden from
anyone.