عمان والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية لهيرمان إيليتس- غير مفهرس

ited him aboard his ship to extend "the civilities and accustomed hospitalities of the City،" a distinction rarely accorded foreign visitors. The crew، like Ahmad and his offi- cers، created a sensation and were widely en- tertained by enthusiastic New Yorkers. During his stay، Ahmad met New York Mayor Phillip Hone and other municipal celebrities. He saw all the sights of the city، and was an honored guest on a special train ride arranged by the management of the Long Island Railway be- tween New York City and the rural town of Hicksville. His dignified demeanor، quick in- telligence، and quiet sense of humor endeared him to his American hosts.

Gestures of Appreciation

Sultanah's arrival offered a belated opportu- nity to extend tangible appreciation for Sayyid Sa'id's unstinting help to Peacock. At the sug- gestion of Commodore James Renshaw، who commanded the New York (Brooklyn) Navy Yard، the U.S. government overhauled Sul- tanah at the Naval Yard before her return jour- ney. The difficult Atlantic voyage had taken its toll and repairs were necessary. Sultanah's crew participated in the eight weeks of repair work and won the admiration of American naval personnel.

As Sultanah prepared to depart، the govern- ment of the United States presented Ahmad and his crew with several gifts for Sayyid Sa'id. These included a magnificent barge، especially constructed under the direction of the U.S. Navy، firearms manufactured by Colt، two large mirrors، and a splendid chan- delier.

Ahmad had by then discharged his English sailing master for intemperance and lax disci- pline. In his place he had engaged Captain Sandwith Drinker of Philadelphia، a well- known American shipmaster، along with three other American seamen. Sultanah set sail from New York on August 7، 1840، and، after a long، tedious voyage، arrived at Zanzibar on December 8. Learning that Sayyid Sa'id was en route from Muscat، Drinker decided to remain.

Sayyid Sa'id hoped to retain Drinker and the three American sailors in his employ; he even considered placing a 610 metric-ton Omani ship in regular service between his do-

mains and the United States، but rejected the idea as economically unsound. He also made plans to send one of his ships to Manila for sugar، and considered a naval foray against Nossi Be on the East African coast، inviting Drinker to command both expeditions. Drinker، recently married and anxious to re- turn to his bride، declined the offers and re- turned to the United States.

Sultanah's visit to the United States، judg- ing from Ahmad bin Na'aman's account book، which is still preserved، was not a conspicuous commercial success. Most American com- modities، Sayyid Sa'id discovered، could be bought about as cheaply from visiting Ameri- can vessels as by sending an Omani vessel to an American port-and without the consider- able expenses entailed in any protracted stay. Sayyid Sa'id occasionally used the prospect of another U.S. voyage for bargaining purposes with shrewd Yankee supercargoes، but al- though Sultanah sailed to London in 1842، no Omani ship in this era again visited an Ameri- can port.

The Shufeldt Mission

In the late 1870's، some 20 years after the death of Sayyid Sa'id، a new burst of U.S. trade expansion resulted in exploration of heretofore untapped markets for the products of American industry. As part of this effort، the U.S. government dispatched Commodore R. W. Shufeldt، a naval officer and a former American consul to Havana، to various ports of the Indian Ocean aboard the U.S.S. Ticon- deroga. He was to explore trade potentials in areas which had no resident American repre- sentatives.

His instructions regarding Muscat and Oman reflected the uncertainty in Washington of the precise nature of the changes that had taken place in the late Sayyid Sa'id's domains since the latter's death in 1856. The absence of a consular officer representing the United States in Muscat since 1845 contributed to such ignorance. Washington seemed unclear، for example، of the implications of the separa- tion between Oman and Zanzibar، which had been formalized in an 1861 British arbitration award.

Shufeldt visited Muscat on November 18، 1879، where he found a Salem vessel، Taria Topan، loading a cargo of dates.

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