عمان والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية لهيرمان إيليتس- غير مفهرس

Oman-U.S.A. First Contacts

Sporadic commercial contacts between Amer- ica and Oman had existed even before the 1833 treaty. Notwithstanding the thousands of kilometers that physically separate the two countries، it was hardly surprising that this should be so. Both Oman and the fledgling United States had long seafaring traditions and strong maritime economic interests. Omani vessels out of Sur، Sohar، and Muscat had plied the Indian Ocean for centuries، visiting the ports of East Africa، India، the East Indies، and even China in search of trade.

With the advent of American independence in 1783، American merchant vessels quickly sailed into these eastern seas for the same pur- pose. Records suggest that the first American vessel to visit Muscat was the Boston brig، Rambler، captained by Robert Folger، which touched port there in early September 1790. This was in the Presidency of George Washington، a scant seven years after Ameri- can independence.

Two years later، in 1792، under less propiti- ous circumstances، another group of Ameri- cans made their way to Muscat-this time afoot، over the grueling mountains and deserts of south and central Oman. They were the sur- vivors of the ill-fated Boston ship، Commerce، bound for Bombay، whose master had erred in his navigation and wrecked her on the un- charted South Arabian coast near Cape Chancely (Arabic: Ras Sharbithat)، notorious for its hidden shoals، monsoonal winds، and treacherous currents.

Of the ship's complement of 16 Americans، only eight survived the harrowing 805 - kilo- meter overland trek to Muscat. Their experi-

ences at the hands of South Arabian tribesmen were harsh. As they entered regions under the control of the Sultan of Muscat، however، not- ably in the great Wadi Halfain، they were bet- ter treated by villagers and townsmen and fi- nally reached Muscat. There they were wel- comed by the Sultan's representative and other local officials and able to recover from their ordeal. All but one proceeded by English ship to Bombay and on to the United States. He was Valentine Bagley of Amesbury، Mas- sachusetts، who worked for two years as a car- penter's mate aboard an Omani-owned vessel before he، too، returned home.

For the next quarter-century، American merchant vessels occasionally touched at Muscat. As a rule، their cargoes were not of American origin، but consisted of sugar، tea، spices، and other products of the East Indies. American shipmasters، engaging in the so- called "coastal trade،" transported cargoes to Muscat because of its importance as an en- trepot for Arabian Gulf commerce، a position it had enjoyed for many years.

Political turbulence in the Gulf، and the constant threat of piracy at the hands of Qawasim freebooters in the first two decades of the 19 th century disrupted Muscat's en- trepot position. These developments، coupled with President Thomas Jefferson's shipping embargo from 1807 to 1809، a war with Great Britain from 1812 to 1814، and closure of Isle de France (Mauritius) to American ships after British seizure of that island in 1819، reduced the number of such ship visits to ports in the northern Indian Ocean area، including

Muscat.

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