Page 45 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

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119. Tho Bushiro-Ispahan-Tohoran road is 7G0 miles long and is between
Bush ire aud Sliiraz so diiiicult that only a very heavy outlay could procure a
passable road.
120. Tho only roads left aro those formerly mentioned in connection with
tho Karun, which all, if tho river were oponed to navigation, would give
British trado great facilities.
121. Five important memoranda have recently been writton on the trade
routes connecting the Porsian Gulf with tho interior of Persia. Tho authors
aro Sir H. Kawlinson, Sir O. St. John, Mr. Baring, Captain Wells and Mr.
'lhomson. These memoranda are given in extemo in appendix III. Besides
we have a Persian memorandum by one of the Zil-us-Sultan’s officers.
122. Sir II Rawlinson is of opinion that the question of opening up the
Karun is “ a delusion and a snare.” Ho considers tho Ahwaz band as an
insurmountable obstacle, and he is convinced that if it were surmounted the
roads leading from the Karun to tho interior would be impracticable, partly on
account of the natural difficulties, and partly owing to tho lawloss stato of the
country through which tboy would pass.
123. His objections are met by Captain Wells, who proves that it would bo
very easy and cheap to turn the Ahwaz band by a canal, and by Mr. Thomson,
who calls attention to two routes from Dizful to Khurramabad, which are un­
known to Sir H. Rawlinson, while they have recently been explored by Mr.
Schindler, who found that one of thorn had long been used by the Persians
for the transport of their artillery, a fact which entirely does away with Sir
H. Rnwlinsou’s objections ou that score. Mr. Thomson also shows that the
state of the country ha9 altered since Sir H. Rawlinson’s time, and that a well
frequented trade route would bo perfectly secure.
124. Sir O. St. John disagrees entirely with Sir H. Rawlinson. He is of
opinion that it would bo quite easy to render the Karun navigable throughout
and he thinks that tho Shuster-Ispahan road could very easily be made into a
good caravan road, but he deprecates the idea ot' making carriage roads. As
no carriages exist in Persia they would havo to bo mado or imported, and it
would under these circumstances be quite as cheap to make a light railway.
Meanwhile a good mule-path would be all that is required. Sir 0. St. John
agrees with Mr. Thomson that the roads would bo quite safe.
126. Mr. Baring thinks that the Karun could and should be used as a trade
route, but he is of opinion that it should be divided into two sections with two
sets of steamers, one above the Ahwaz falls and one below. These two sections
should be connected by a tramway. He refers to Mr. Schindler’s explorations
of the Dizful-Khurramabad roads, and thinks that the only means of maintain­
ing British trade in Persia would be the use of these roads, unless a hitherto
unknown road from liushiro to Ispahan via Behbohau should prove practicable
as he has reason to believe it would. Mr. Baring is in favour of the construc­
tion of metalled roads, but he agrees with Sir H. Rawlinson that the Shuster-
Ispahan route should bo left out of consideration.
126. Captain Wells thinks that a railway could easily be made from
Shuster via Hehbehan to Shiraz. He considers the direct Shuster-Ispahan road
to be impracticable, but ho points out that the Shuster-Burujird-Ispaban road
which does not present any natural difficulties is at least 100 miles shorter than
the difficult Bushire-Ispahan route.
127. Mr. Thomson, who has read all the memoranda above referred to,
and who has collected all other information in his power, is of opinion that the
opening up of the Karun river would offer distinct advantages. The Dizful-
Khurramabad-Teheran route is short and easy, aud affords the only means of
competing with Russian trade. The minister points out that Russian trade has
increased to an alarming extent within the last years and that when the railway
from tho Caspian to Teheran has been completed, British trade will certainly be
driven out of all the great Persian markets unless easy communications are
established with tho Persian Gulf. Mr. Thomson entirely dismisses the idea that
tho Persian Government would ever incur the expense necessary for rendering
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