"المجلد II. مذكرات بخصوص شؤون خارجية أخرى. ١٩٠٥." [و‎‎٢‎٣] (٢٢٨/٥٠)

[ 3 ]
of part of the coal expenses incurred by him in
the course of his trips to Masseera, and that, as
regards the release of the prisoners connected
with the affair, he should request the Sultan
to inform them and their relatives that their
best way of securing a speedy release will be
for the Jennebeh and other tribes to deliver
up the murderers whom they are now harbour
ing. Major Cox was asked to report again on
the latter point in due course.
15. {Vide paragraph 11 of Memorandum
for April 1905.) The Political Agent was
informed on the 2nd May, in reply to a
telegram received from him on the subject,
that, if consulted by the Sultan, he should
advise him frankly to tell the French Consul
that, pending the Hague decision, he would
prefer to lend his steamer (required by Mons.
Billecocq for his projected journey to Sur)
neither to the French nor English Consul, for
fear lest such action may be misinterpreted in
favour of either party.
16. Subsequently, Major Grey reported
that a French flagship called at Maskat, and
left on the 16th May for Sur with the French
Consul on board. H. M. S. “ Lapwing ” was
present at Maskat ou the occasion.
17. Major Grey telegraphed on the 11th
May that he had received news from Merbat to
the effect that 13 ships-of-war, supposed to be
liussians, anchored there, about three weeks
ago, for two days. Some persons went ashore,
but no harm was done by them. The message
was repeated to the Naval Commander-in-
Chief, East Indies Station.
18. Intimation was received of the land
ing at Galag on the Persian-Makran coast,
between January and February, of two lots of
arms and ammunition for conveyance to
Afghanistan via Seistan, consisting of 1,500
Martini-Henry rifles and 20,000 cartridges. A
large traffic in arms is said to exist between
Maskat and the Perso-Baluchistan ports.
19. ( Vide paragraphs 12-14 of the Memo
randum for April 1905, regarding the Maskat
Arbitration case.) The French counter-case
was received by the Home Government
on the 3rd May. It is alleged therein that
in the British case an incorrect version has
been inserted of the notification issued by the
Sultan on 15th June, prohibiting the use of
French flags by his subjects. The local officers
have explained the circumstances under which
two versions of the notification were issued by
the Sultan, one of which, i.e., that in which the
prohibition might be held to imply a threat to
past flag-holders, is contained in the British
case, while the other the one in the
French case) seemed to confine the prohibition
to future flag-holders. These explanations
were repeated to the Secretary of State, with a
statement that the French apparently intend