Page 100 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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Board of Trade rcsjjcctivcly. The further desi­
derata, excepting 1 and fl, might be dealt with
by the Board of Trade. Point 1 would’require
careful consideration, and might perhaps be dis­
cussed with Messrs. Lynch. Point 6 is already
likely to receive the attention of His Majesty’s
Legation, who have reported fully upon an irri­
gation project of a Dutch engineor on the
Karun.
It is incidentally recommended in Mr. Chick’s
report that the Imperial Bank of Persia should
open a branch at Bahrein. This course is open
to objection, since it might lend colour to the
contention that Bahrein is Persian territory. On
this ground it would seem preferable to en­
courage the establishment of some bank not
connected with Persia—say, the branch of a
Bombay house.

(c.) Lighthouses.* f
[Communicated by Mr. Lovat Fraser. J

The following notes are based on conversa­
tions with officers of the Navy and Indian Marine,
and also with commanders of mail steamers of
the British India Company; further, with poli­
tical officers.
There are at present no lights in the Gulf at Lighthouses.
all, except a very small one (a beacon) at the
southern point of Koweit Harbour.
There is a general consensus of opinion that a
light is chiefly wanted on Ras Musandim, at the
entrance to the Gulf. For manifest political
reasons, this is also desirable. Such a light might
be placed—(a) on one of the Quoin Islands;
(6) on Musandim Island, the actual point, sepa­ Musandim.
rated from the mainland; (c) on the mainland
behind. All three places are lonely, the climate
is bad, supplies would h ive to be brought from
elsewhere, and perhaps there might at first be
danger from the local tribesmen. The replies to
these objections are that the location is not more
lonely than the island light* in the Red Sea, the
climate can hardly be worse than that, and sup-

* See also page 21.
t A Keport on Liglita in the Persian Gulf was drawn up in
1872 by the Consulting Engineer for Kurrachee Harbour. (See
India Office Library, No, 718.)