خارجي ٤٣/٤٢٢٦ "تعويضات للمشيخات العربية عن الخسائر التي تكبدتها بسبب اعتداءات العدو (غرق السفينة س.س. دافو)؛ وغرق مراكب داو شراعية تابعة للكويت وقطر ومسقط (جنوح السفينة "ستار أوف ميكس")" [و‎‎٢‎١] (١٤٠/٤١)

CONFIDENTIAL
NOt Cgg S rlg/a-G^
POLITICAL AGENCY,
MUSCAT,
Dated 17th February 1947.
Dear Colonel Hay,
17 th
the 17th February 1947.
Please refer to my telegram No.C.71 -dated
Following is a more detailed report concerning
the ship u Star of Mex 1 '.
2. We arrived at Ras al Khabb at dawn on the
morning of the 16th and sent a boat ashore with Saiyid
Faisal bin Said and Pludson, who accompanied me as
representatives of the State. When they arrived on the
"Star of Mex 11 , they found only the Wall and three or four
of his guards on board, though it was apparent that the
ship had been pretty well stripped of all fittings. They
brought the Wali back on board H.M.I.S. "Dhanush 11 , where
we heard his story of events as follows:
Shortly after H.M.S. Wren*s departure on the
6 th, a storm arose and fearing that the ship would break
up, the master and the crew landed and camped on the shore.
The next day the storm abated and though the ship had
changed its position considerably, it was still intact, so
the master again boarded the ship. In the meantime
messages had been sent to Sur to fetch lighters to dis
charge the cargo and also to Gray,Mackenzie & Co., Ltd.,
Muscat, to send assistance. As a result of these messages,
lighters arrived from Sur on the 11 th and after some
bargaining regarding the payment for their services the
master agreed that the lighters and crew would be entitled
to 1/3 share of any cargo salvaged by them. On this basis,
approximately 180 motor tyres and 70 bags of sugar were
discharged and sent off for Sur. After the departure of
. the first lighters, the Master entered into an engagement
with the local Shaikh to send on board 60 or 60 tribesmen
to work the balance of the cargo. The Wall swears that
this engagement was entered into against his advice. Whether
this be true or not, the tribesmen were allowed on board on
the morning of the 14th at a time when the crew were on
shore under the protection of the Wali*s guards. It is the
Wali's story that after arriving on board, the tribesmen
saw sugar and coffee beans which had been damaged by water.
They asked the master if they could have this and their
request was granted, having attained so much for nothing,
their natural cupidity was aroused and they commenced
ransacking the ship. The Master and the Wali were still on
board, but were unable to control the situation. While
the ransacking was going on, a launch carrying the Agent
of Gray, Mackenzie together with a representative of the
Customs at Muscat, arrived on the scene with instructions
from the ship's owners requesting the Master not to abandon
the ship and to report about the assistance he required.
«
The
The Hon'ble Lieut.-Col. W.R. Hay, CSI., CIE.,
Political Resident, Persian Gulf,
' BAHRAIN.