Page 285 - PERSIAN 4 1899_1905

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

ON TUB
PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

AND

MASK AT POLITICAL AGENCY
FOR

190M902.

Part I.—GENERAL SUMMARY.
Rainfall and Harvest.—'The season in Bushirc was very unsatisfactory. The i. General,
rains set in late and have been very deficient, only 2 inches S3 cents having been
recorded. The prices of foodstuffs, at the close of the year, were very high,
wheat selling at krans 23 and barley at krans IS per llashmi man of 124 lbs.
In Bushirc and its immediate vicinity, the crops have failed almost entirely,but
in some of the surrounding districts, the rainfall has been more favourable and a
fairly good harvest is expected. At Lingah there has been practically no rain
for fourteen months, and a good deal of anxiety is felt as to the water-supply.
At Shiraz the late rains have been good, and it is understood that the crop pros­
pects arc ut present satisfactory. On the Karim the rains came very late, but
the late rains have been good, and towards the close of the year the price of
grain declined considerably.
The Governorship of Bushirc and Gulf Torts.—The Darya Begi resigned
his appointment and left Bushirc for Tehran on the 7th April, in obedience to
the orders of the Persian Government. IIis successor, the Salur-i-Mo’azzcm,
nephew of the Kizam-cs-Sultnnch, was appointed on the lSlh August 1001, but
did not arrive in Bushirc until the 23rd December. 11 is deputy, the Moiz-el-
Mumaiik, arrived in Bushirc on the 21st September.
Public Peace and Tranquillity.—The year under review has been unevent­
ful. Subsequent, to the departure of the Darya Begi affairs in Bushirc were
mare or less disturbed, but no incident of any importance occurred. Taugistan
appears to have been in its usual lawless state.
Public Health.—The past year has been a healthy one. A good deal of
small-pox prevailed at Mohammerah, but appears to have died out now; and
there have been cases in Bushirc. The measures for the prevention of plague
have been efficiently carried out under the superintendence of the Residency
Surgeon.
Currency.—The old krans and copper coius have been withdrawn from
circulation, and new krans and nickel coins arc now in general use.
Administration of the Customs in the Persian Gulf.—1 ho management of
the Customs in the Gulf lias remained in the hands of the Belgians, who have
succeeded in extending their control generally throughout the Gulf. Tlio Customs
at Cbarbar and Gwettur, which were hitherto farmed by British Indian subject**
have now been taken over by the Belgian Administration. The port of Dilam
also has been taken over, but Ilyder Khan of Bandar Big has, it is understood,
hitherto refused to hand over the control of the Customs at that port. The
Shaikh of Mohammerah, and tho Arabs who acknowledge him as Chief, are voiy
averse to the abandonment of their ancient rights connected with the customs at
hlohammerah and on tho Karuu river, and tho Belgian Administration lias not
a