Page 84 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf) 1907-1953

78
As Into as 1895 the said Sheikhs had declared
that, although the Chief of 81iargah on their
behalf had duly represented to the British
Government that the ownership of the island
was vested in him, ns Chief of tho Jowasmis,
the British Government had refrained from
moving in the matter, and that thoy themselves
had consequently been unable to enforce their
rights by their own unaided efforts.
A full precis of tho correspondence relating to
the occupation of Sirri is contained in a letter,
dated Bushiro, the 19th August, 1888, from
Colonel Ross to His Majesty’s Minister at Tehran
(vide Government of India Proceedings, Septem­
ber 1888, No. 104).
Sir Arthur Hardinge, in commenting on the
correspondence between Major Cox and the
Government of India, deprecated raising the {Vide supra.)
case of Sirri, unless the Persian Government
forced the question upon His Majesty’s Govern­
ment, since the latter were face to face with an
occupation in which they had acquiesced for
very many years, though they had not formally
recognized it.
He added that M. Naus had consented to
strike out Sirri from tho list of Customs ports
enumerated in the “ R6glemeut Douanier.”

Part III.—COMMERCE.
(a.) The Pearl Fisheries.
The pearl fisheries constitute so important a
factor in the general policy of His Majesty’s
Government in the Persian Gulf, that con­
siderable space is allotted to the consideration of
this subject, and the three principal papers
which bear upon it are quoted in extenso. These

(I.) A despatch from the Government of India
dated the 10th March, 1904;
(II.) A Report submitted by the Law Officers
of the Crown to Lord Lansdowne, dated the
11th February, 1905; and
(III.) A despatch to the Viceroy from the
Secretary of State for India, dated the 31st
March, 1905.

I.
“In tho course of our recent examination of
problems connected with the Persian Gulf, the