Page 263 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1007-1908. 79
endeavoured to make peace betwocn them, but Nawab Khan would not agree
to Ahmed Khan's returning to the district.
In March 1908, Mir Nawab Khan informed the Assistant Superintendent
lie had been appointed to the Bahu district in place of Mir Ahmed Khan, and
applied for his subsidy, but ho failed to furnish any proof for his appointment
and was advised to submit a formal application to the Director, Persian Gulf
Telegraph Section, giving his credentials or proper authority for his appoint­
ment, either from the Governor of Bampur or from Sardar Syed Khan of
Gaik. Mir Ashraf Khan and Mir Nawab Khan are friendly, and the Bahu
district should llourish under this rule.
Mir Ahmed Khan is almost completely broken, and it is much doubted
if he will ever regain sufficient power to enter Bahu territory again, ilis
subsidy is entailed up to the olst December 1908, when he will have com­
pleted all the payments against the theft of 24 camels of our telegraph
employees, at Paleiri, two years ago. It may then be advisable to consider
the transference of Mir Ahmed Khan's subsidy to Mir Nawab Khan.
Practically no rain has fallen this sea­
Rainfall and Crops. son, and drought prevails almost through­
out the district.

Memorandum on the smuggling of arms from Maskat through the Mekran ports during the
season 1907-1908, based on Mr. New's report.
Proposals for the establishment of land patrols and telephone stations on
the coast, iu order to obtain hotter inform­
Measures instituted.
ation of suspected landing of arms,
were submitted, and subsequently sanctioned by the Government of India at
a cost of Rs. 374 per mensem.
The scheme was initiated at the end of November 1907,10 patrols being
engaged and posted as follows:—
Worth of the telegraph line, to watch roads from up country.
Karwan district (one) Taran district (one) upper Gabreg district (one).
Coast patrols, one at each of the following places :—Sadoch, Soorug,
Rapch, Bandeni, Bir, Jagin and Gabreg.
A further sanction was subsequently obtained for the establishment of
two additional patrols to watch the portion of coast between Tank and
Cliarbar. One of these was employed at Sirgan, the other being utilized at
the port of Bris Bunder (40 miles east of Charbar), as soon as Afghans began
to operate on that section of the coast. Good reliable men were engagod for
the work, and had not the Afghans ohanged their field of operations from
Gabreg to the coast of Biyaban, away from the telegraph line, it would have
been possible to give such speedy information of suspected landing of arms
as might have led to more captures than were accomplished during the season.
It is clear, however, that the patrols and telephones, on the coast at all events,
acted as a deterrent to the Afghans, and confined their operations to the
Biyahan coast.
The first Afghans to arrive this season travelled overland from Afghanis­
tan, reaching Gahreg at the end of
Commencement of Afghans' operations.
November 1907. During the succeeding
months of December, January and February a few arrived at Jask by mail
steamer, but the majority travelled overland, some direct to the Jask district,
while others came from the direction of Bunder Abbas. They brought many
transport camels from Afghanistan and purchased many more in the Biyaban
and Minab distriots.
There was a lapse of two months between the arrival of Afghans on the
ooaat, and tbo landing of tlioir first consignment of arms at Gubrog. This
was largely duo to the rejeotion of some 50 Afghan passengers from Maskat
which greatly disorganized their plans, and later they were unable to come
to terms with Mir Noor Mohamcd of Gabreg to send Baluohis to Maskat to
purchase rifles.