Page 182 - PERSIAN 4 1890_1899

12 administration rbport on tub tersian gulp political
high against tlio Kawam-ul-Mulk; and' tlio people, not satisfied with the aa-
eurancos they received of his departure, assumed a threatening attitudo.
Matters quieted a few days later on the departure of the Kawam-ul-Mulk ;
but continued high prices soon again oausod a ferment, and threats were
posted up that the Telegraph Office would bo again bescigod. Some fear of a
riot was again revivod in November.
Locusts made their first appcaranco in spring and were followed by larger
flights; the injury they did to tho crops about Shiraz is said to have boen
very extensive ; tho wheat indeed was reported to have been almost destroyed.
Toung locusts again appeared in November, and very great damage was done
to tho crops during the early spring of this year.
Much trouble was caused by tho turbulence of tho Baharloos, who were
noted in last year’s report as having gone into open revolt, and by other Arab
and nomad tribes. The appointment of tho Seham-ul-Mulk to the position
with these tribes formerly occupied by tho Kawam-ul-Mulk, was very unwel­
come to them ; but he appears to have dealt with these, unruly spirits with a
strong hand. He conducted an expedition which surprised the camp of
Roza Khan by night, killing several of his followers and capturing others;
Reza Khan himself, who escaped wounded, died the next day.
Two robberies of the Persian post were reported.
Very great damage was caused by heavy rain and floods in Shiraz and
districts. In the middle of December the rain is described as heavier than
any remembered in recent years ; the houses in Shiraz were much injured and
the district of Abadeh to the north suffered terribly. In the Fasa district
south-east, the effect of the floods was still more severe, some villages being
almost annihilated. Towards the end of February, Shiraz and the neighbour­
hood were visited by an earthquake which caused some injury to life and pro­
perty. This was followed by a deluge of rain, which destroyed a very large
number of houses in the city.
At Lar in May a colporteur of the British and Foreign Bible Society
was maltreated, and all his books were burned by order of the Mujtabid,
against whom the Governor declared himself powerless to obtain redress for
the victim.
The case of a British Indian subject who was robbed of some 26,000
Krans worth of property, chiefly pearls, at Naband, was noticed in last year’s
report. Pearls to the value of about 3,388 Krans were recovered, and after
much needless delay and complication, were handed over to the owner named
Magbu. The result of the dilatory proceedings taken by the authorities is
that up to the present, notwithstanding the orders of the Government, the
efforts to obtain more complete indemnification for the unfortunate man have
been fruitless.
A Pa than caravan, some of the leaders being British subjects, was at­
tacked by the Baharloos and robbed, and four men killed. This occurred before
the beginning of the year; but up to the present about half of the camels
only have been recovered, no further compensation for the loss of life and pro­
perty having yet been obtained.
Fever of a severe type appeared near Bassidore in November, and caused
about thirty deaths. Heavy rain at the close of the year did much injury to
bouses and date groves.
Failure attended the boring operation for petroleum of the Mining
Rights Corporation, a depth of over 700 feet being reached without a trace of
oil being found.