Page 422 - PERSIAN 2B 1883_1890_Neat

10 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERBIAH’ GULF POLITICAL

Mir Hoti, Chief of Gaih# the most extensive coast district of Mekraa, died at Bamnur
the 2nd of February 1887. It is not known who the successor will bo. *
The last season's rainfall in Mekran was fairly good.
In December the Persian Government sent an Agent to Cape Jnsk with order* to estab­
lish a Government House and Custom House there, and to furnish minute reports of the
proceedings of the English officials at that placo.
It appears that alarming reports had reached His Majesty the Shah of the doings and
designs of the British in that quarter, which bad greatly disturbed the Royal mind. The facta
were as follows:—In accordance with a convention between the British and Persian Govern,
ments, dated 1868, the Government Indo-European land line of telegraph was extended from
Gwadur to Cape Jask and the latter place became the terminus of land line and sub-marine
cable. The rocky and then uninhabited promontory of Jaak was, with the assent of the
Persian Government and authorities, fixed on for the erection of the necessarily somewhat large
telegraph station. At that period, as now, Jask was under the Government of Bunder
Abbass, but tbe Persian authorities took little active interest in the Baluch districts and the
petty Chiefs were left much to themselves. In pursuance of the system which had been
observed in view of securing the telegraph line from wilful injury at the hands of the Baluch
inhabitants along the coast of Mckran, the headmen of the districts near Jask, namely, Mir
Abdul Nabbi and Mir Ali, were assigned subsidies of R4-0 and 30, respectively, in consideration
of their promising to protect the wires, &c., from injury in their districts.
In course of years, aud in absence of interference of the Persian authorities, a village grew
up in the vicinity of the telegraph buildings, and in the year 1879 a company of sepoys of the
Bombay Marine Battalion being compelled to leave Bassidore on account of its unhealthiness,
was placed at Jask, and quarters erected for their accommodation. Subsequently, on a detach­
ment being removed from Gwadur, it was transferred to Jask, bringing up the strength of the
Jask detachment to about one hundred. .
The Persian Agent, who was sent to Jask last December, hot only corroborated all the
sinister reports which had reached the Shah's ears, but drawing on a naturally fertile imagin­
ation, considerably improved od them. He represented the Baluch tribe3 as having thrown off
their allegiance, the English as exercising sovereign rights, and eventually reported having
recovered seventeen townships fur the Persian Government, for which imaginary exploits he
was rewarded.
The Malek-et-Tujar of Bushire-was next deputed by the Persian Minister to Jask in the
Persian Government ship Pencpolu, it being thought that an official of his standing would
furnish more faithful report*. 'Ibis, however, was a mistake, as the Malek-et-Tujar on the
whole confirmed the reports of bi6 sefawdiittab?, and, in order to make a tangible impression,
seizjcd Mir Abdul Nubbi and ilir Ali, two principal Shaikhs of Jask, and carried them in
chains to Bushrve. The termer of \hest Chiefs, Mir Abdul Nubbi, was actually the Local
Governor of the Behan district* a man, of character and energy, who had been usually
troublesome to the British ©fficiiif Jast. The other, Mir Ali, is an old man of eighty
years, quiet, inoffensive, and of ftli® best Baluck family of the district. Neither of these
persons had been guilty of aay daCoyalfcy to Persia, or committed any offence to deserve the
treatment they received, but they were receiving British pay, and it suited the agitators to
represent them as traitors and malefactors. These, with other prisoners, were subsequently sent
heavily chained from Bnshire to Teheran, any intercession of British authority in their behalf
being considered only likely to corroborate the suspicions entertained.
The general question of the parifetett e£ the British at Jask having been disenssed by Her
Majesty's Charge d* Affaires at Tehiwaa, a satisfactory arrangement was come to by which
Telegraph Department are assigned Btasrad limits.
There was of coarse never any question of denying the right of the Persian Government
to establish a Government and Custom House at Jask, nor of maintaining a military g0*™
there against their wish. It was arranged accordingly that the Persian Government fj6®
should establish himself outside the telegraph limits, and that the military guard s o
withdrawn.
Mirza Nasrollab, the First Agent, was recalled, and Mirza Hednyet appointed in his

8.—SLAVE TRADE.
Four of Her Majesty's ships, vit., Reindeer, Wo^dlark, Kingfisher, and Sphtnr were ^
gaged from C5tk April 1886 until 18th June in the spring operations against slavers tro
African ooa*L