Page 318 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

18 ADMINISTRATION REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY

Fars. The road guards became absolutely beyond control, and as a result the
rates of mule hire rose to unprecedented heights, as shown in the annexed
table for the Bushire road.
Church This institution enjoyed comparative peace throughout the period. The
Minion ory
Society. difficulty over Mr. Clifton’s house, referred to in the last annual report, con­
tinued, but eventually he left it with flying colours and a solatium of three
months’ rent in cash and a donation oi tomans 25 to the school. A small
attempt at persecution was made in November under the auspices of a leading
Mullah but it never received any popular support and was soon dropped. It
was apparently instigated by the notorious Italian Jew and Moslem convert,
Veneziani, who had recently returned to Shiraz and was desirous of opening
a rival institution.
Slaves. No letters of manumission were granted during the period. The five
slaves mentioned in last year’s report were eventually induced to return to
their masters on the latters’ assurances of good treatment. One female slave
was in the Consulate awaiting manumission at the close of the year.

Travellori, These were not very numerous; Mr. R. E. Holland and Captain Bird-
etc. wood of the Political Department, with Lieutenant Meade, I. A., stayed some
days in Shiraz at the end of April, and accompanied Mr. Grahame to Ispahan
by the unfrequented Sarhad route; Mme. la Comtesse de Clermont-Tonncrre,
accompanied by M. Pierri, a Corfiote, arrived early in August after a very
hazardous and trying journey from Ahwaz via Behbehan and remained
about two months. Mr. J. C. Pearson, of the Carnegie Institute, Washing­
ton, who is engaged on a magnetic survey, stayed four days at Shiraz in Nov­
ember; and Captain Anginieur of the French Army passed through on the
way to Bushire in the same month.
Tour. His Majesty’s Acting Consul undertook a short tour in the summer, pro­
ceeding by the ordinary road to Dehbid and diverging on the return journey
to visit the Baunat valley. He had an opportunity of making the acquaint­
ance of all the leading Arab chiefs including the redoubtable Asghar Khan,
and of verifying the reports of widespread disorder. Mansur-cs-Sultanch,
who was then in charge of the Arabs, and Haji Muhammad Ali Khan,
Governor of Baunat, were most cordial and hospitable.
Ria Mijoity’• Mr. G. Grahame left on promotion as Consul-General, Ispahan, on April
Couaal. 29th. Mr. J. H. Bill, I.C.S., was in charge as Acting Consul for the
remainder of the year.
J.H. BILL,
His Britannic Majesty's Acting Consul, Shiraz.
Shiraz :
The 21st March 1909.