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

AN ARAB POTENTATE.

1 learned from Captain Hamilton that among the va-
rious costly presents s' nt 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-rclieso work in the . cabin did tee suit his
highness, and he took umbrae at it. The King offered
to repair or alter it in any manner that the Sultan might
suggest. Syed S f ed, however, etould cot accept it un-
der any other terms than t hat he should be aliowed to
dispose of it as he pleased. Permission being granted
him, lie sold the yacht to the residency at Bombay, and
laughing in his sleeve at the simplicity of his English
feieml, deposited the gold in his coffer. A mag-
nificent set of silver pate was also sent out from
England to his Highness. After keeping theta a
sufficient time to elude suspicion, the sultan disposed
of them to his neighbours and offieers. Some, who
w, re able to purchase theta, 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 It tter, stating that, as his Highness would per-
ceive, it was a very superior article, constructed pre-
cisely on the nicdel of her own carriage of state ; and
she had no doubt his Highness would appreciate it all
the better when she intuinsed him teat it w con-
structed by her own artisan, and was Fecdharly
adapted, in case of motion, to the smooth and beautiful
roads of Zanzibar. She hoped his Highness's footmen
and drivers would display it to the best advantage,
and she enjeyed the belief teat his Highness would
ride out often in his otliglitful parka. The. whips,
harness, cushions, trinansines, &c., were of the
finest workmanship an i most costly material. The
whole affair was built at the expense of 9,000 dols. 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 addie ssing him in verse.
I saw this carriage myself; and it grieved me to think
how pearls were thrown 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 vi oed-work is ruined by
worms. As it stands now, it is not worth fifty dollars.
The articles presented to the Sultan by the Government
of the United States fared no better. He received by
the Peacock, as is stated by Ruschenberger, a sword and
altaga with gold scabbards and mountings, Tanner's
Map of the United States, a set of American coins,
several rifles, a menher of cut-gla s lamps, a quantity of
American Nankin, known as Forsyth's Nankin, &c.
Now, the merchants who have resided at Zanzibar for
years, mid who know exactly everything said and done
by the Sultan in relation to our Government, say that his
Highness treated these gifts with perfect contempt, how-
ever well pleased he may have expressed himself to the
commander and officers of the Peacock. The intrinsic
value of a present, not the friendly feelings with which
it is given, has its influence with him. It was cer-
tainly a very small business to send a set of trifles of
this kind to a foreign Sovereign; but it was not
.very
honourable in the Sultan to sell the greater part
of them to his subjects, for it is well known in Zanzibar
he did so. I was witness myself to a transaction of
this kind. It is very generally known that a splendid
boat worth three thousand dollars was sent out to theis
Sultan by our Government. iris Highness with
was
suite of officers, met with an accident the day
it
first tried at
boatmen,Z nit
upset in
azibar. Owingtie
bay, y to the
and awkwardnesscomplet
completely
of
ducked
the royal
ratheralparL than to
party. The
the awkwardness e Sultan,i attaching
hnineg. the
blame of
Hthaeimm,en"„hhraed i
it rliemrraiej.dinodn
nivgalrd his
eeted frigate,and unused
hesetdBh
till
the
e—
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
course, was bound to decline the gift. He then tried to
sell it to some of Ills subjects, but 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-
ltahrosu,swanhdiehtht)lllia the Sultan
present. B
Sultanreceivy'ed in exchange for his three
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 difficuty 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 has obligations to his Government, by
receiving it as a in re matter ot cachaege—an accommo-
detion which politeness required him to extend to the
SoLau ! So much fur milking presents to an Arab po-
teutute."—Browne's Etchings y a Whaling Cruise.

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 tile depot at this town, was
entered, whilst he was at dinner, and about 2001. in gold,
which he had received only a few minutes previously for'the •
purpose of paying wages, was stolen. About 251. in silver
and 71. iu copper were left &touched. The money was
locked up in a drawer, which was broken open by the thief,
by means of a. chisel, which was afterwards found ih;the -
office. Entrance to the office had been obtained• by a latch- •
key,*at a oo•,r within a workshop in which fifteen to twenty I
men are at work during the day. A reward of 501. has been
offered for the discovery of the offender.—.ll,6l/ Advertiser.