Page 121 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

rESIDENCT AND MUSCAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOB THE YEAB 1802-03. 11

8.—PERSIAN ARABISTAN.
Tbe Sahab-uI-Mulk continued bis government of Arabistan throughout
the year, but was replaced in. March of this year by His Royal Highness the
Hisam-us-Sultaneh.
Tbe crops between. Ahwaz and Shuster and on the Lower Karun were very
poor last year, and this, combined with the weakness of the Governor, contri­
buted, no doubt, to the lawlessness that was from time to time reported to be
prevalent in the province. The JazaLi section of the Beni Truf Arabs near
Ah was and the Sagwand Lurs oa the Dizful and Shuster roads were the
principal offenders.
In April 1892 the Governor arrested the two H-Khanis of the Bakhtiaris,
Imam Kuli Khan and Re:a Kuli Khan, and invested Isfandiyar Khan with
the Chiefship of the Bakhtiari. The deposed Il-Khanis were summoned to
Tehran in August last. The present year's arrangements, through which the
control of the Bakhtiaris has been separated from the Governorship of Ara-
bistan and made over to His Royal Highness the Zil-us-Sultan, have resulted
favourably to tbe two Il-Khanis, who have been placed in charge of the tribe.
Isfandiyar Khan in turn journeyed to Tehran.
A fortnightly Persian postal service was organised between Mohammerah,
Shuster, and Dizful.
The interchange of mails has been arranged between the Persian post
office at Uobammerah and the Turkish post office at Bussorah.
A Persian pest office will be bail: at ITohnmmerah this year.
A British pest office was opened in the Vice-Consulate at Mohammerah
in July 1S92. The Persian Foreign Office Agent was at first disposed to be
obstruct!:e until necessary orders fer the recognition of the post office were
received from the Governor of Arebistan.
The Peisian telegraph office at Mohammerah was undermined by high
tides in May last and collapsed.
The working of the line between Bushire and Ahwaz during the year
seems to have been satisfactory.
If a sufficient number of telorrams from Bussorah could be counted on, the
Persian Government would consider whether the line could be worked for
English messages as well.
Early ia the year the S. S, Slutshan was taken down to Bussorah for
repairs, and she was unable to re-cross the rapids owing to lowness of the river
until December last.
The Persian Government was asked to permit the use of a launch and
barge on the Upper Karun so as to keep up communication with Shuster until
the S.S. Shushan could be taken over the Ahwaz rapids, but it was considered by
the Persian Government that this would be a violation of the regulation for
the navigation of the Karun, and the request was refused.
Trade on the Upper Karun was therefore monopolized by the Naseri Com­
pany, which took advantage of the opportunity to raise its rates of freight.
Messrs. Lynch have recently built and placed ou the Lower Karun a
powerful paddle-wheel steamer tbe S.S. Alalamir of the same general design as,
ut lightly smaller than, the steamers on the Tigris. She seems to have
a attracted a larger passenger and goods traffic.
The position of the Mucz-es-Snltaneh, Governor of Mohammerah, as an
owner of steamers on the Karun and also customs farmer, gives him a great
advantage in competition with Messrs. Lynch, as he is always able to offer native
merchants a reduction on freights in order to attract their custom. There is
a 2