Page 552 - PERSIAN 4 1899_1905

10 ADMINISTRATION REPORT ON THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL
Vigorous protests immediately followed not only from Bheikh Mubarak, but
also from the Shoikli of Mohammerah and the Turkish authorities at Duasorah,
and the experiment haB not been rcpoated.
In August and Scptembor duringt.be date harvest tbero was considerable
friction between the local Turkish officials at Fao and the Land Agont for
Sheikh Mubarak’s properties, and matters rcaobed a crisis in October, when a
cultivator and his wife employed on the Sheikh's gardens were shot dead by a
party of Turkish soldiers. Owing to the energetic pros.sure from the Wali of
ilnssornh Sheikh Mubarak soon afterwards withdrow his Fno Agent, but in
return for this no special rodress was given him for the shooting of his retainers
and the matter was allowed to drop. It will bo singular, however, if tho trouble
does not raise its head again during the coming date harvest.
Koioeit currency.— The currency of Koweit has been and is a frequent
V.*
»D( source of trouble, as it is also at Maskat, the standard being the Maria Theresa
dollar, the exchange vagaries of which are most prejudicial to the interests of
trade.
Copper is represented bv the Indian pice, and Turkish Liras, Indian rupees
and Persian krans all circulate freely, but their exchange value is referred to
VI the ever-changing dollar.
km
Lieutenant D. L. fci. Lorimer, Indian Army, was Vice-Consul at Ahwaz, and
Mr. TV. McDouall, Consul at Mohammerah, throughout the year.
The Azem-es-Sultaneh was appointed Governor of Ar.ibistan in succession
VII.—Pars!’in
Arabistan. to the Salar-ed-Dowleh, whose deputy he formerly was. He arrived at Shusbter
early in July.
The Dizful-Khorpniahad road has been extremely insecure throughout the
year, and it was significant that in April, when the Sag wand Lurs were leaving
the Dizful district for their summer quarters, they migrated by the Pusht-i-Kuii
route instead of going by the direct road towards Khoremabad.
Matters seemed to improve, however, and in the autumn Lieutenant Lorimer
entered into negotiations at Dizful with a friendly and influential Mir of the
Sagwand Lurs and was able to obtain through him a guarantee of safe conduct
by the Kialan route to Khoremabad, where he was to meet Colonel Douglas,
Military Attache at Tehran, and return with him to Dizful by the same road.
All went well on the outward journey, and Lieutenant Lorimer arrived
safely at Khoremabad, but not finding Colonel Douglas there went on tow.-.rds
•burujird and meeting him about eiirht miles short of that town turned back with
him towards Khoremabad. On arrival there, having received apparently satis­
factory assurances of their safe conduct back to Dizful, the two officers left
Khoreinabad and falling in with their Lur escort at Shah-i-Shah, camped that
night at Chimashk and left next day for the Fort of Kila-i-Nasri.
Here an attempt was made by their escort to blackmail them, and in the
course of a heated argument, during which the attitude of the Lurs was very
uhreatenin?, Lieutenant Lonmer saw one of them entering his tent apparently
^°^PurPoses °f robbery. On his running to stop him the Lur closed with him
and a scuffle ensued during which a shot was fired and then the two officers
UP°n an? atteckcd. Lieutenant Lorimer received a bullet through
the *and and had his jaw badly injured by a heavy stone hurled at him,
Colonel Douglas, who came to his-assistance, was shot through the right fore­
arm above the wrist, both bones of it being fractured.
The two wounded officers having thus been put out of action were then
roubed of everything they had, and after being provided with a few tins of their
own stora, and three broken-down ponies, were hustled off towards Khoremabad
whither they arrived after much suffering and exposure and thence made their
ay o urujird. Here they fortunately found Lieutenant Williams, I.M*v
Burgeon to the Kcrmanshah Consulate, and Dr. Funk, of the American Mission,
S?6ir wounds "Me* had now gone eight days without being
attended to. It was by tins time the 6th November, amd not till the beginning
ry, *aa Lieutenant Lorimer able to rciurn to liis post at Ahwaz,
travelling v*d Baghdad.
for “dcmnity has been demanded from the Persian GeTeram"*
lor tins outrage, together nith the punishment of the tribe implicated. An