عمان والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية لهيرمان إيليتس- غير مفهرس

Sayyid Sa'id

Nevertheless، American shipmasters recog- nized that they were in maritime competition with the substantial Omani fleet of Sayyid Sa'id bin Sultan Al Bu Sa'id، the great-great- great grandfather of His Majesty، Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id. When not engaged in naval operations against Qawasmi pirates or rebelli- ous East African subjects، many of his vessels regularly were sent on trading missions to East African and Indian ports.

It is eloquent testimony to the vision of Sayyid Sa'id that، despite the element of sea- borne competition between Omani and Ameri- can merchants، especially in the coastal trade، he still encouraged greater American commer- cial interest in his realm. Few Arab rulers of any time period were as well-known and re- spected by Americans as was Sayyid Sa'id during his long reign (1804 - 1856). Popularly styled "The Imam" by Americans and Euro- peans who knew him-although he himself eschewed the title-his domains ranged from Oman proper to Dhofar in South Arabia and along the East African littoral from Cape Guardafui on the Horn of Africa to Cape Del- gado، on the northern border of Portuguese- held Mozambique، and included the clove island of Zanzibar.

In a period when Americans were ill- informed about Arabs، and when their sparse contacts with Arabic-speaking peoples of North Africa were often contentious، Sayyid Sa'id enjoyed an unrivalled reputation for forceful leadership، decisiveness، friendship، and commercial probity. For the better part of a quarter-century، he maintained close per- sonal and commercial relationships not only with American consuls، shipmasters، and supercargoes who resided in or visited his do- mains، but also with American merchants who had never left the United States and knew him only through correspondence. Many an Amer- ican shipmaster benefited from his personal benevolence. Whether to replace lost anchors، to advance funds، or to provide other services، he sought to be of help. Rarely has an Arab leader، anywhere، made so positive an impres- sion upon Americans.

Edmund Roberts

On the American side، it was Edmund

Roberts، a native of Portsmouth، New Hamp- shire، to whom credit is due for reviving trade between the United States and the domains of Sayyid Sa'id، and who negotiated and signed the 1833 treaty. Born in 1794، hence only six years younger than Sayyid Sa'id، Roberts was orphaned at an early age. His adolescent years were spent in the home of an uncle، a promi- nent American merchant who lived in Buenos Aires and later in London and Paris. As an adult، Roberts found that his share of his uncle's business had shrunk considerably، due to Anglo-French trade restrictions imposed during the Napoleonic wars and by the depre- dations of French and Spanish privateers. Hearsay reports، rather than direct informa- tion، stirred his interest in Sayyid Sa'id's do- mains. In an effort to recoup his fortunes، he chartered a ship in 1827 to explore their com- mercial possibilities. In the ensuing eight years، Roberts engaged in three separate rounds of talks with Sayyid Sa'id: the first in a purely private capacity، (although Roberts et it be known that he had once been named American Consul to Demerara، Guyana); the other two in the capacity of official representa- tive of the government of the United States.

Trade Talks

His initial discussions with Sayyid Sa'id took place in early 1828، in Zanzibar، where the ruler of Oman had arrived shortly after Roberts' vessel. Believing that American commercial ties with the Sultan's realm suf- fered disadvantages، Roberts urged that Amer- ican traders receive the same treatment ex- tended to Englishmen. The English، he noted، already enjoyed treaty status of sorts with Oman and thus were accorded a favored posi- tion. Moreover، he added، unlike either the British or the French، the United States had no territorial ambitions abroad and was solely in- terested in mutually beneficial commerce. Roberts proposed that Sayyid Sa'id entrust him with dispatches to the government of the United States، setting forth the terms under which American merchant vessels might be received in ports under the Sultan's control. Might it not also be useful، he suggested، if a commercial treaty were concluded between the two governments? Should this be agree- able to His Highness، as Sayyid Sa'id was

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