The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-01 00:00:00

AN ARAB POTENTATE.

I learned from Captain Hamilton that among the va-
rious costly presents sent to the Sultan of Muscat from
England was a splendid yacht called the Prince Regent.
' It was built and fitted by order of George the Fourth.
The basso-relievo work in the cabin did not suit his
highness, and lie took umbrage at it. The King offered
to repair or alter it in any manner that the Sultan might
suggest. Syed Syed, however, would not accept it tin-
der any other terms than that he should be allowed to
idispose of it as he pleased. Permission being granted
him, he sold the yacht to the residency at Bombay, and
laughing in hisi sleeve at the simplicity of his English
friend, deposited the gold in his coffer. A mag-
nificent set of silver plate was also sent out from
England to his Highness. After keeping them a
sufficient time to elude suspicion, the sultan disposed
of them to his neighbours and officers. Some, who
were able to purchase them, got the silver spoons ;
others the plate ; and an old Arab in Muscat, was for-
tunate enough to obtain possession of one of the im-
mense head dishes, which he now uses for his paddee.
Queen Victoria sent him a splendid carriage, and with
it a letter, stating that, as his Highness would per-
ceive, it was a very superior article, constructed pre-
cisely on the model of her own carriage of state ; and
she had no doubt his Highness would appreciate it all
the better when she informed him that it was con-
structed by her own artisan, and was peculiarly
adapted, in ease of motion, tp the smooth and beautiful
roads of Zanzibar. She homed his Highness's footmen
and drivers would display it to the best advantage,
1 and she enjoyed the belief that his Highness would
I ride out often in his delightful parks. The whips,
harness, cushions, trimmings, &c., were of the
finest workmanship and mast costly material. The
whole affair was built at the expense of 9,000 doll. When
the Sultan received this present, he was in raptures; but
he very soon had the richest of the ornaments taken off
to convert into money. Her Majesty's knowledge of
the dominions of his highness being altogether drawn
from works of an imaginative character, she was of
course quite excusable for not knowing that there is no
such thing as a carriage road in the jungles of Zanzibar,
or on the sun-burnt heights of Muscat."• The idea of
presenting a splendid carriage to the Sultan, when he
could make no earthly use of it as it was designed to be
used, was about as ridiculous as addressing him in verse.
I saw this carriage myself; and it grieved me to think
how pearls were tikrown before swine. It is now boxed
up, after having been defaced by the natives, the beautiful
ornamental work all destroyed, and the whole affair
rendered unfit for use, even it there were roads. The
moths and vermin have destroyed all the embroidery
and inside trimmings, and the wood-work is ruined by
worms. As it stands now, it is not worth fifty dollars.
The articles presented to the Sultan by the Government
tohf
ethe
allenhictked ,aSs tiast es
tsaftaerde dhy n bRo h
se eht
et earh. e r
gHeer, rae
sc
we iovredd
and
altaga with gold scabbards and mountings, Tanner's
Map of the United States, a set of American coins,
several rifles, a number of cut-glass lamps, a quantity of
American Nankin, known as Forsyth's Nankin, &c.
Now, the merchants who have resided at Zanzibar for
years, and who know.Lexactly everything said and done
by the Sultan in relafin to our Government, say that his
Highness treated these gifts with perfect contempt, how-
ever well pleased he may hav3 expressed himsalf to the
valueit is
commander and officers of the Peacock. The intrinsic
r haspy resent, not the friendly feelings with which
smallis
o afgiven,
va e
withha set i m.of Ittrifles
waifless o
cer-
tainly
business
to send
this kind to a foreign Sovereign; but it was not very
honourable in the Sultan to ell the greater part
of them to his subjects, for it is well known in
Zanzibar
he did so. I was witness myself to a
this kind. It is very generally known thattransaction of
a splendid
boat worth three thousand dollars was
l sent out to the
I i
Sultan by our Government. His Highness
suite of officers, met with an accident gthneessa y
it was
with his
first tried at Zanzibar. Owing to the awkwardness
of the boatmen, it upset in the bay, and completely
ducked the royal party. The Sultan, astasbz the
blame to the boat rather than to the nwkwardness of
the men, had it carried on board his frigate, the Sha-
Halm, where it remained neglected and unused till the
trimmings were totally ruined, and the fine mountings
stolen or sold by the seltan's officers. His Highness
offered it as a present to the American consul, who of
I course, was bound to decline the gift. Ho thee tried to
sell it to some of his subjects, bnt they preferred
their native craft. Finally, he made a bargain
with the British Consul (which I witnessed per-
sonally) to this effect. The Consul had a common
six-oared boat, worth about six hundred dol-
lars, which the Sultan received in exchange for his three
thousand dollar present. By his oath of office, the Bri-
tish Consul is bound neither to transact business on his
own account with the Sultan, nor to receive any present
or presents. The difficulty was thus obviated on both
sides :—The Sultan wished to get rid of his fine boat,
because, through awkwardness, it had once upset ; and
the British Consul quieted his own conscience, in violat-
ing the spirit of his obligations to his Government, by
receiving ' it as a mere matter of exchange—an accommo-
dation which politeness required him to extend to the
Sultan ! So much for making presents to an Arab po-
tentate."—Brownc's Etchings of a Whaling Cruise.,
1

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY.—On Saturday, between
half-past twelve and one o'clock at noon, the office of Mr.
Wright, superintendent of•the engineering department of the
Hull and Selby Railway, in the depot at this town, was
entered, whilst he was at dinner, and about 2001. in gold,
which he had receive( only a few minutes previously for the
purpose of paying wages; was stolen. About 251. in silver
and 71. in copper were left untouched. The money was
locked up in a drawer, which was broken open by the thief,
by means of a chisel, which was afterwards found in the
klice. Entrance to the office had been obtained by a latch-
y, at a door within a workshop in which fifteen to twenty
men are at work during the,_ . A reward of 501. has be=,
offeredl9rtil° discovery 9C tllo—etfender.—.Lluil Advertior.