Page 258 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

74 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

tlio seizure of somo 25 rillcs and 30,000 rounds of ammunition was recently
effected.
Local Large quantities of oxido of iron wero shipped by Messrs. Stride
ontorprlaos. & Co.’s steamers up to the 31st De­
Hormuz oxido.
cember, after which, however, ships dis­
continued their visits to the island. This fact has given riso to numerous
rumours regarding the future disposal of the oxide. By some it is asserted that
the Moin-et-Tujjar has terminated his contract with Messrs. Stride, while others
say that the Persian Government has called into question the Mo in’s right to
farm the island. The Mom’s Agent has recently informed the Consulate,
however, that tho Tehran Assembly has ratified the concession originally
obtained by tho Moin from the Shah.
Mr. Hamilton Guun, the mining engineer alluded to in last year’s report,
terminated his contract with the Moin-
Kishm sulphur quarries.
et-Tujjar and sailed for Europe on
tho 15th May. Since then tho Moin has contemplated tho construction of a
trolley lino from tho quarries to tho coast and also of large tanks for tho
storage of fresh water to supply the workers, it is understood, however, that
these projects have now been abandoned and that it is intended to calcine the
sulphur on tho spot and without the aid of machinery, camel transport being
employed between the qiiaries and the coast. In order to supervise this work,
M. Benedetto, an Italian engineer, has been engaged and arrived from Europo
on the 22nd January.
Notwithstanding that M. Hatinoglou has several times written to
acquaintances in Bunder Abbas, announc­
Sponge Exploration Syndioato.
ing his early return to resume diving
operations off the islands of Hormuz and Kishm, he has hitherto failed to put
in an appearance.
Tho Hamburg-America Lino continued to be represented by Aga Gbulam
Ali Khorassani, but bo contemplates
Gorman projects.
being replaced at an early date by a
European representative of Messrs. Wonckhaus. Eleven German steamers
called on the outward voyage, disembarking an aggregate of 5,434 packages
and taking away 727 packages. At tho end of January, M. Kurt Jung,
Commercial Delegate from the German Foreign Office, arrived from Kerman.
During his stay, he devoted himself to a study of the local trade requirements
with a view to promoting German trade interests with the port.
During the year, four Russian steamers called on both outward and
homeward voyages. That the visits of
Rnaiian trade.
these steamers to tbe port are scarcely
lucrative may be gathered from the fact that the aggregate number of packages
brought by them for ihe year, was 1,130, while the number shipped was 1,017.
Telegraph. No progress has been made towards a solution of the cable question and
the wire has been open for the despatoh of Consulate messages only. In June
the telegraph clerk proceeded on leave, since when his duties have been effici­
ently discharged by the British Postmaster. The Persian guard remains posted
at the end of the cable, while the three telegraph messengers are located in
tents and watch the wire and cable-house on behalf of tho Telegraph Depart­
ment. In December, tbe wire was severed in tw’o places by Borne person
unknown, but the damaged wire has since been entirely replaced.
Slave Of fugitive slaves who took refuge at tbe Consulate, 84 were granted
manumission. manumission certificates, while 19 slaves who took refuge in tho Agency at
Lingah were also manumitted. From complaints made by several freed slaves,
there is reason to apprehend that the petty chiefs of tho Bevaban coast do not
pay due regard to manumission certificates in thoir subsequent treatment of the
persons concerned.
The district has been free from any serious epidemic. Small-pox was
Public health.
prevalent in Bunder Abbas during tbe earlier months of the year, but subsided
when tho populations left for the date plantations in May. Eightv-five persons
were vaccinated at the charitable dispensary. Malaria fever has beou more
than usually prevalent.