Page 365 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 1008. 65
In February the Customs effected a capture of 25 rifles and 30,000
rounds of ammunition on the Biyaban coast. In April they at last took
tardy action against persons openly carrying arms in the town and the
paltry result was the confiscation of 4 rifles. In December a cache of 27
rifles and 00 Tabriz mans of ammunition was discovered in the premises of
the firm of Jamshidian in the town, but on the representations of other
merchants the Director of Customs was prevailed upon to simply seal up the
premises with the arms in situ pending instructions from Tehran.
During the year in all 66 slaves took refuge in the Consulate, with si»vo3.
complaints of ill-treatment by their masters. Of these 55 were granted free
dom and the remaining 11 disappeared during enquiry into their cases. Of
the total freed 11 belonged to Lingah and had applied for manumission
through the Residency Agent there.
The practice of manumitting slaves coming from the Arab coast was
discontinued during the year as it was found that slaves who had contracted
with their masters for pearlfishing and had received advances of money were
obtaining freedom papers by misrepresentations to this Consulate, where it
was difficult to verify their stories. In such cases they are now referred
to the Residency Agent at Shargah or the Political Agent at Bahrein.
Nothing occurred in Hcnjam during the year under review except some iicnjam.
unpleasantness brought about by the Customs Mudir’s threat to the Telegraph
officials to create trouble unless he was removed from the place. The man
attained his object—a transfer—through the representations of this Consulate,
and the reasons for his desire for a change then appeared in the form of
his irate creditors who threatened to seize the local Customs post unless
their debts were paid by the Customs authorities. The Director of Customs
having agreed to send his launch to Hen jam to settle the claims against
the former Mudir the incident closed.
Persistent rumours were current as to the calculation of the Muin-ut- Hormuz.
Tujjar’s concession of farm of the islands of Hormuz and Kishm and the
districts of Mi nab and Kliamir which eventually proved to be false, and
those districts which the Muin held in fief arc still in his possession.
Six steamers called at Hormuz for cargos of red oxide of iron and of
these one large steamer “ Euchandale ” took over 4,000 tons to England.
Small consignments of 400 and 500 tons were shipped by the Bombay Persia
Steam Navigation Company’s steamers presumably for the Indian market,
Messrs. Strick only taking 1,500 tons. The total amount shipped during
the year is some 8,000 to 9,000 tons.
It was not until the end of the year that the telegraph cable question Toiogmph
arrived at a solution, when the Persian Government at last in November
agreed to praotically all the conditions for which the linking up of Bunder
Abbas with the world had been delayed. In December the cable was brought
into a new-cable-house further inland and a land-line carried thence direct
to the Consulate whence another land-line was taken to an office in the
town, the olfice in the Consulate containing the three-way switch by which
the town and the Consulate are connected with Hcnjam. The Persian tele­
graphist who arrived in Bunder Abbas at the beginning of 1906 remained
faithfully at his post for some 2-£ years though without an office or a key,
and then left for Shiraz, which delectable spot he had not enjoyed for more
than a few months when by the irony of fate he was again ordered to Bunder
Abbas. At present owing to the inability of the Persian telegraphist to
read or send messages in Roman character the mercantile community are no
gainers by the opening of the office. It is hoped that this state of affairs will
be remedied shortly.
His Majesty’s Consul proceeded to Lingah in Janit&ry and also paid aToura
vist to Bushire in March, since when no tours were undertaken.
During the earlier part of the year visits were paid to the port by Navy and
II. M. S. Lapwing (twice), Redbreast, Proserpine. The R. I. M. S. LaivrcnceUtkri
called twice, in May and again in December. The I. G. T. S. Patrick