Page 109 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

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British Rights at former Telegraph Stations
in the Gulf.
Telegraph Island.—Telegraph Island, which lies
in Elphinstonc Inlot, off the Musandim promon­
tory, was occupied in lSGt “without reference
either to the Sultan of Muscat or to any other
authority” (Minute by Lord Curzon, dated
the 6th October, 1902, forming an inclosure to
the Government of India’s despatch of the 23rd
October, 1902), for the purpose of erecting a
Btation on the Gulf cable. The station was
abandoned in 1869, when the cable was diverted
from Musandim to Jask and llenjam. Since
that date the island has not been occupied by us
in any way.
The question of our status on Telegraph Island,
which appears to be little more than a rock, arose
in 1904 in connection with the proposals for
selecting naval bases in the Gulf, which were the
outcome of Lord Curzon’s visit to those regions.
On the 24th August, 1904, His Majesty’s
Government sanctioned a proposal of the Govern­
ment of India to erect flagstaffs on three points
at Cape Musandim, of which the site of the old
buildings on Telegraph Island was one. The flag-
staffs were erected, but as a result of repre­
sentations by the Admiralty, it was subsequently
decided that two out of the threo should be
abandoned. It was recognized that Telegraph
Island, in view of its occupation from 1864-9,
stood in a different position from the other sites
selected, and the orders of His Majesty’s Govern­
ment convoyed in Mr. 13rodrick’s telegram to the
Viceroy, dated the 31st March, 1905, approved
the maintenance of the flagstaff on Telegraph
Island “as a sign of the continuance of our
occupation of tho spot, which first took place in
connection with the operations of the Eastern
Telegraph Company.” In a despatch dated the
19th May, 1905, tho Government of India were
requested to reconsider the question of main­
taining the flagstaff. They were informed that
“ the opinion of His Majesty’s Government with
regard to the flagstaff on Telegraph Island was
based od the conclusion,” formulated in tho
Government of India’s letter of the 23rd October,
1902, “that the jurisdiction of the Sultan of
Muscat over thoMakhlab Isthmus and Musandim
promontory was of so uncertain and ineffective
a character that it would be open to His Majesty’s
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