Abstract: Correspondence relating to an incident taking place at Fuwairat, Qatar, in October 1909, in which a Persian vessel bound for Bahrain carrying a cargo of goats and firewood, was alleged by its nakhuda to have been deliberately scuppered on rocks by the inhabitants of Fuwairat, and the cargo then sold at Fuwairat at prices below their Bahrain market value.Correspondence from the Political Agent at Bahrain (Captain Charles Fraser Mackenzie) details his attempts to substantiate the claim, estimate the financial loss suffered by the nakuda, and set the extent of the fine to be charged against the inhabitants of Fuwairah (ff 30-31, ff 26-28). Subsequent correspondence dated 1910, exchanged between Sir Louis Du Pan Mallet of the Foreign Office, and India Office officials, casts doubt on aspects of the case, and also questions whether any action can be taken on the El Katr [Qatar] coast, over which the Ottoman Porte claims sovereignty.Correspondence relating to a second, similar incident at Fuwairah in 1912, includes renewed discussion of what action should be taken with regard to incidents of ‘piracy’ on the Qatar coast, with a copy of a letter addressed to Shaikh Jasim bin Muhammad bin Thāni [Jāsim bin Muḥammad Āl Thānī] by the Political Agent at Bahrain (Captain David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer) (ff 4-5).Physical description: 29 folios
Abstract: The volume contains correspondence, memoranda, notes, and minutes relating to the looting of the SS
Kualaby inhabitants of Socotra following its grounding off the coast of the island in November 1911. Some of the correspondence is included as enclosures, sometimes in the form of printed collections relating to a particular matter. The volume includes handwritten drafts. The majority of the correspondence is between the Imperial Merchant Service Guild, India Office, Foreign Department of the Government of India, Government of Bombay, Salvage Association, Port Authorities at Bombay, and the Political Residency at Aden.The papers cover several matters, including:the initial report of the incident, by Robert McKinnon, Chief Officer aboard the SS
Kuala(folios 109-113);the request by the Imperial Merchant Service Guild for action by the India Office;the condition of the vessel;the whereabouts of the remaining crew members and their rescue by Austrian Steam Navigation Company vessel SS
Trieste;the question of compensation;a proposal for a general survey of the island.At the rear of the volume is correspondence from 12 October 1897-13 January 1898 concerning a similar case involving SS
Adenwhich was used to inform the discussion over that of SS
Kuala.Physical description: The foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 42; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.