Page 335 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1000.
35
intending to proceed from there via Puslit-i-Kuh. Owing to the unruly
state oi' the Sagwand this proved impossible and they eventually made their
way up through the Bakhtiari country and Paraidan.
81. Lieutenant Meade, I.A., travelled down from Ispahan by tho
Bakhtiari road and reached Ahwaz on 5th June and left again immediately
for India.
82. Mr. Percoval Landon, correspondent for the * Daily Telegraph,’
travelled down from Tehran to Ispahan, where he applied to His Majesty’s
Consul for assistance to continue his journey through the Bakhtiari country
to Ahwaz. The necessary arrangements were made and he left Julfa on 22nd
August. To prevent misapprehension and misstatements he was carefully
coached in regard to Bakhtiari affairs, and it is discouraging to hear that his
published letters are full of mistakes and absurd opinions. This is on hear­
say, copies of the articles having not as yet been received here.
Mr. Landon proposed to visit the oil works and actually did so, but it is
interesting to note that lie subsequently received from England a request
that he should not do so. He had written home before leaving Ispahau to
ensure that he should meet with a favourable reception by the Cojnpany’s
Agents, and this was the answer, which however he only received at Ahwaz.
He reached Ahwaz on 15th September and left the following day for India.
83. Political.—There have been no signs of Foreign political activity in Foreign
the district during the year, unless a political significance be attributed to the icUvit8£s&nd
tour of Herr Mvgind, correspondent for the ‘ Berliner Tagcblatt’. This gentle­
man travelled down from Ispahan through the Bakhtiari country, and after a
brief stay at Ahwaz left for Baghdad. From his articles it appears that he
met some of the Bakhtiari Khans, but efforts to obtain any definite informa­
tion about his doings have proved fruitless. It is probably safe to judge
from this that he merely played the part of a passing traveller and did not
attempt to create any political relations. In his published letters lie has
brought charges of personal discourtesy against His Majesty’s Consul. As
he had never met the latter, and indeed was never within many days march
of him, it would appear that cither his intelligence or his honesty is defective.
84. During the absence of His Majesty’s Consul, M. ter Mculen,
Russian Consular Agent, in a fit of hot weather irritation, threatened with
assault a Scyyid, a British Indian subject, who was at the time living in
quarters adjoining M. ter Meulcn’s and was unfortunately rather noisy
in his morning devotions. The case was referred by Mr. Ahmed Khan to
His Majesty’s Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushire, but hs the
Seyyid had in the meantime left Nasiri and M. ter Meulen had suffered
more in loss of dignity than we had, it appeared unnecessary to prosecute
the matter further. It is not to British interest that M. ter Mculen
should be replaced by any one else. His maladroitness makes him a British
asset.
85. Messrs, ter Meulen, Gratama & Co.—This firm has continued to Commercial.
maintain its place as the only European rival of Messrs. Lynch Brothers in
the locality.
Owing to depression of trade the year has not been a prosperous one for
them—a fact of which they make no secret.
Mr. Gratama went up to Ispahan in May with the intention of starting
an agency there, and remained till the end of September.
He made special efforts to secure a share in the carrying business on the.
Ispahan-Ahwaz road, and a certain number of consignments for export were
received from the Tobacco Regie, who, I understand, have always found
Messrs. Lynch Brothers’ ways of business a stumbling block.
It is not believed however that Mr. Gratama made much headway in
building up a transport business.
M. ter Mculcn proposes to visit Europe in the ensuing year, probably
leaving Ahwaz in February or March. Il) this case Mr. Gratama will not
repeat his visit to Ispahan.
F 2