SEIZURE OF ARMS ON BOARD SHIP.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 261, 19 March 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

SEIZURE OF ARMS ON BOARD SHIP.

Lloyd's agent at Muscat telegraphed from Chaahbar, on tho coast of Persian Makran, on January 26 :—" Tho Lapwing seized tho steamer Baluchistan, London for Basra, off Muscat on the 24th inst., and confiscated arms and ammunition shipped for the Persian ports. The cargo is held by the Consul." The Baluchistan was detained in the Thames in November last for alleged contravention of tho port regulations in having a quautity of powder on board in cinisters instead of cartridges. She also had rifles on board, which it was explained were for Jibutil, Abyssinia. Af;er explanations had beon given, she sailed with the arms, but with only a portion of the powder. Both tho powder and the arms were originally shipped at St. Peteraburg, in connection, it was said with a mission to Meuelik, Emperor of Abysnnia, and were transferred to the Baluchistan at the mouth of the Thames from another English vessel. Her Majesty's gunboat Lapwing is under tho command of Lieutenant and Commander George Carr, and was recommissioned at Colombo in March last.

The powder and arms which were to be shipped by the Baluchistan were originally brought into the Thames in November by the steamer Envoy, belonging to Messrs Bailey and Leetham(Limited), of Hull, to whom Sir Albert Rolbt, M.P., is tno London representative. Sir Albert on being interviewed by a reporter after tho Baluchistan's seizure in the Thame, said that the guns, muskets, sholls, &c , on the Baluchistan were received by tho Envoy at St Petersburg, and it was understood that they were intended for trans-shipment to the French port of Jibutil, on the Red Sea, and on the arrival ot tho Envoy in the River Thames the consignment was put into barges for transhipment to the Baluchistan and another vessel, both owned by Messrs F. C. Strick and Co., of London, a firm which has a regular line between London and the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Sir Albert Rollit further states that the officers of the Custom House, in their usual search, discovered stowed away among the rifles some packets of gunpowder, and the matter had to be referred to the Custom authorities. The irregular stowage of the gunpowder was entirely due to the shippers at St Petersburg, aud was quits unknown to Messrs Bailey aud Leetham or to Messrs Strick. The goods were shipped by M. Leontieff in the St. Petersburg, and made deliverable to his order in London, and their ultimate destination was believed to bo Abyssinia.

A Newport correspondent states that before proceeding eastward tho Baluchistan visited that port and took in a cargo of coil from the Red Sea ports In consequence of the action of the Custom authorities in London, a number of cases containing rifles and safety cartridges were transferred from the Balcnhutan to two barges which now lie in the creek outside the port boundary awaiting instructions from the vessel's owners. It was supposed that all arms and ammunition had been removed from the Baluchistan. Messrs Strick and Co. on Wednesday etit/d that the seizure was no doubt the result of an arrangoment between tho British and Persian Governments, Tho owners, however, could give no reason for tho seizure, as the arms and ammunition formed but a small portion of the ship's cargo. They did not know the quantity, not having opened the cases. They were themselves acting only as carriers, and tho seizure did not involve tho ship, which,- since being stopped by the Lapwing, had started again on her voyage? Tho shippers of the seized number a dozen or 20 persons, and the cases were shipped on order to agents or buyers. . Reuter's Agency siys :—lt is understood that the offence with whioh the Baluchistan is charged is that of attemptin" to land arms aud ammunition in Persian ports in contravontiou of the lnv. It is considered especially important that the ve«ssl should have been sstoppod while carrying on this traffic in arms and ammunition, iu view of the present disturbed state of tho country bordering on the Persian Gulf.