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Mr. Baring's report, also inolosed in Your Lordship’s despatch No. 91, n tramway should
bo constructed between the points whore the goods would bo disembarked and re-shipped.
With regard to tho 2nd objection, although I have not visited the country myself,
I learn on the best authority that the road from Shuster to Tehran via Dizful, Khoramabnd,
Burujird and Kaum, whioh is even now practicable for artillery, would enable goods to bo
convoyed to the oapitnl with a considerable saving of time as compared to tho present route
via Bushire and Shiraz. In my despatch No. 73 of the 18th April last, I transmitted to Your
Lordship a summary of a report addressed to tho Berlin Geographical Society by Mr.
Schindbr, who had recently traversed tho country between ShuBtcr and Burujird. That
gentleman is of opinion that, with a small expenditure of money, most of the difficulties
connected with the rond in question might be removed.
His Royal Highness the Zil-us-Sultan, in whoso Government the district is situated,
is also of opinion that the read might be made availnblo for wheeling traffic without any
cxocssivo expenditure and with far greater case than the Bushire-Shiraz route.
As to tho insecurity of the country on whioh some stress is laid by Sir H. Rawlinson,
I veuture to remind Your Lordship that at some timo or other most of the Persian roads havo
been insecure, but that as soon as tho Government was interested in opening them for traffic
it. found moans to control the tribes who infested them. There is no reason to suppose that
tho Shuster-Burujird road would oonstilute an exception to the rule.
Besides tho road to Tehran from Shuster via Burujird, there is a route from the Karun to
Ispahan by Bebbehan and Koraesbab, whicli I am informed by tho Zil-us-Sultan traverses a
good caravan road which is secure and available for traffic in all weathers.
I may add that- the opening of the navigation of the Karun and the arrangement of now
routes between that river and the commercial centres of Ispahan and Tehran by no means
implies the closing of the present route via Bushire and Shiraz, which will still bo available for
those who prefer it.

No. 43, dated Tehran, the 7th April 1883.
From—Ronald F. Thomson, Esq., Her Majesty's Minister at Tehran,
To—The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
I havo the honour to acknowledge tho receipt of Your Lordship's despatch No. 8 of the
f th January last, enclosing copies of memoranda by Sir H. Rawlinson. Mr. W. Baring and
Sir 0. St. John on the subject of tho opening of the Karun river to steam navigation, and
instructing me to report on the various sohemes advocated in these papers.
In my despatch No. 18, Commercial, of the 26th of December last, I offered some remarks
on Sir H. Rawlinson's objections to the Karun project. It appears to me that, if the road from
Shuster to the interior can be made practicable, the ‘bund' at Ahwaz is not a difficulty
which should prevent us from using the Karun as a route for our trade with the central and
northern provinces of Persia. It certainly renders the continuous navigation of the river
impossible, and I admit also that there is no prospect at present of this difficulty being removed
by the construction of a canal and locks by which the dam and rupids could be avoided.
Goods would have consequently to be discharged at the bund and re-s-hipped above the rapids
for conveyance to Shuster. But the delay and expense, and the injury to goods which would
be involved in their trans-shipment and conveyance over this milo of level road whether the
transport is effected by wagons or Iraraway, or simply with beasts of burden, would be alto­
gether insignificant when compared with that to which they are exposed in crossing the
d.fficult and dangerous passes that have to be traversed between Bushire and Shiraz.
The value of the Karun as a highway for commerce depends on whether a practicable
road can be found from Shuster to the intt rior. There are at present two routes : one through
the Bakhtyari country to Ispahan, and the other by Khoramabad to Burujird. The former of
these is about 160 miles shorter than the road to Ispahan from Bushire by way of Shiraz, but
from all accounts it is only capable of being used as a mule-path, and could not by any effort,
which the Persian Government could bo induced to make, be converted into a wagon road,
it is doubtful, moreovor, if it could be used by caravans throughout tho winter.
The other route from the Karun by Dizful and Khoramabad to Burujird is described by
Sir H. Rawlinson as impracticable for oaravans. It appears, however, that there are five roads
leading over that portion of the route situated between Dizful and Khoramabad, and Sir H.
Rawlineon’s description refers probably to tho most difficult of those, for Mr. Schindler, who
travelled several times through that part of the country in 1877 and 1878, states that one road
is now practicable for artillery, and that another could with a small expenditure be put in a
good practicable condition.
The distance from Dizful to Khoramabad is about 130 miles, and thence to Burujird about
50. From Burujird to Tehran by way of Kaum, tho distance is about 220 miles, the road
being good all the jvay. Mr. Schindler is a careful and experienced observor, and assuming
bis statement to be correct in respect to tbe ease with which the passes on the Dizful