Page 33 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

:

RESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1005-1005. 23

finally able to roako purchases to tlio value of iUO,000. The party left for
Europe in October expressing their intention of returning for the following
season.
A distinguished Australian eye specialist, Dr. Kenny of Melbourne, arrived
at 13uahiro in March 1000 with introductions from His Majesty’s Foreign
Office and travelled to Shiraz, Ispahan and. Tehran, for the purpose of investi­
gating diseases of the eye, which aro very prevalent in Persia.
In March, Mr. Q. Pilgrim of tho Geological Survey of India whohadopent
the winter in geological exploration in the Gulf Region, journeyed acroaa the
MuBsendum Promontory from Dibba to Ras-el-Khaima in order to get an
idea of the mountain system. On his return he was conveyed in H.M.S.
Lapwing to the vicinity of Halool Island, just north of which a
spring of Bitumen had been reported. No traoe of it, however, could be
found.
The Persian newspaper .Uabl-cl-Matin issued in Calcutta which has a
wide circulation in Persia has continued
Vernacular Nowopapcr?.
throughout the year to publish anti-English
articles in connection with various current topics. The Soistan Mission
and the meeting at Charbar between Persian and British officials for the settle­
ment of pending claims in Mekran and Perso-Baluchistan have furnished it
with a good deal of copy of this kind.
The Editor of the Bushire newspaper Ifnzafferi who, it will be
remembered, was bastinadoed by the Governor of Bushire three years ago in
connection with his comment on the episode connected with His Excellency
the Viceroy’s visit, bad his paper suspended for printing articles agitating for
the introduction of .reforms by the Central Government. Just after the close
of the year he was summoned to Tehran in this connection but was allowed to
return after reaching Mohammerah and intends to continue bis paper under a
new name.
The Odessa Company's sailings to these waters continued fitfully during
the year ; five vessels visiting the Gulf
Raman Acuity. Ports at irregular intervals. Their con­
signments for Bushire consisted chiefly of sugar, and on the homeward voyage
they shipped tobacco.
Tho Armenian soi disatit “ Prince ’’.Anatouni arrived at Bushire by the
Odessa Company’s S.S. Vesta and after staying a few days in Bushire left
early in October for Shiraz, where Monsieur N. Passek, the Russian Consul-
General at Bushire, was pas>ing the summer. Erom Shiraz, Prince Anatouni
proceeded to Ispahan and Tehran, and subsequently returning southward
via Yezd, Kerman, Bam and Bunder Abbas, reached Bushire agaio in March
1906 where he stayed with Monsieur Grosky, tho Agent of the Russian Lines.
His doings as far as is known were chiefly limited to the endeavour to push
Russian sugar and piece-goods and to make enquiries into trade conditions.
He is said to have spoken freely in Kerman and elsewhere of the advantages
offered by the Bunder Abbas-Bam trade route.
The inauguration of a Russian hank and Russian Consulate in Shiraz
was promised but neither project has yet taken serious shape.
Merchants in Shiraz appear to be shy of giving orders to Russian
firms at present for the reason that commissions given last year to the
Russian House of Scheibler at Ispahan, with payment in advance, have been
six months or more overdue.
In Maroh 1906 the death of an inhabitant of Shiraz being popularly
attributed to his having eaten Russian sugar much hostility towards the use
of the commodity was engendered in the popular mind. A parallel * incident
took place at Debai on the Trucial Coast of Oman.
The Resident was on tour to au unusual extent during the year, owing
to the incidence of work in connection
with the preparation of the Gulf
Gazetteer as well as in tbe ordinary, course of his political duties.