Page 455 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

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POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1009. 45
In both cases His Majesty’s Consul has repeatedly asked Messrs. Lynch
Brothers to inform him of the value of the property stolen, to enable him to
claim compensation from the Bakhtiari Khans, but up to the present Messrs.
Lynch Brothers have been unable to furnish the information required.
This subject is dealt with separately
Lynch Road. Condition of—Bridgoe, Bridge under the heading * Messrs. Lynch
toils, itoud Construction, otc. Brothers *
Although the road has not been repaired since the summer of .1907, ;.ts
general condition, considering the engineering difficulties involved, is fair.
Petty repairs arc required in a few places, about which the Bakhtiari
Khans have been informed, which repairs, however, had not been effected up
to the end of the year.
The Godar Bridge tolls for the year (Persian) ending 20th March 1910
have been farmed out by the Bakhtiari Khans to one Qalb Ali for a sum of
17.000 Tomans, but it is estimated that by the end of the year, a sura of about
40.000 Tomans will have been taken in tolls; such a large sum is unprece­
dented and testifies to the amount of traffic which has passed up and down
the road, being roughly twice as large as the average reported actual annual
takings for the three preceding years.
On the 3rd March 1909 a sum of 31.000 odd Krans stood to the Bakhtiari
Khans’ credit with Messrs. Lynch Brothers, under the head * Road. Construc­
tion Account.’
Tours of His Majesty’s Consul.
The following account of tours under-
in Bakhtiari and Kuhgdu countries aad taken will incidentally show the ground
S. \\. Arabistan. , . . - °
covered during the year :—
As has been elsewhere mentioned, owing to political difficulties in connec­
tion with the Lynch Road it was deter-
Ahwaz to Ispahan—2tth May to liYu J«ne. mined to travel up to Ispahan by this
route to enable His Majesty’s Consul to
ascertain the actual state of affairs. It was originally intended to start on
the 10th May, but, owing to the refusal of the Samsam-es-Saltaneh to supply
guards to His Majesty’s Consul and the correspondence subsequent thereon,
a start was not made till the 24th May. A few days prior to His Majesty’s
Consul’s departure Shaikh Khazal, who was in Ahwaz at the time, requested
permission, on account of the reputed unsafety of the road, for Haji Saif-ed-
Dowleh, the retiring Governor of Arabistan, to accompany the Consular
caravan. Permission was granted, but at the same time it was pointed out
that His Majesty’s Consul could accept no responsibility on the Governor’s
account in the event of anything happening.
During the whole journey through the Bakhtiari country only one cara-
van was met with, there being no other caravans on the road with the excep­
tion of His Majesty’s Consul's caravan and that, of the ex-Governor, from
which it may be seen that the road was all but closed.
The question of the Godar Bridge Claim, 1903-04, having been referred to
the Foreign Office, London, and an
Ispahan to Ahwaz—1th October to 23rd
November. answer expected, it was not possible to
start off on the autumn tour till the 4th
October. It having proved impossible to meet Muhammad Sheffi Khan,
Bahmai, as had been arranged, on the summer tour, and a favourable oppor­
tunity having presented itself, it was .decided to take the advantage of this
opportunity and return to Arabistan via, the Kuhgelu country.
. Muhammad Khan of Daiun, who is in charge of the Chahar Lang Bakh­
ta™5 on behalf of the Haji Ilkhani family, was visited en route, and Likkak
the head-quarters of Ali Nakki Khan, the eldest of the three brothers who rule
over the Bahmai Kuhgelus. was reached without incident, with the exception
of one petty theft in the Chahar Lang country, which however was made good
immediately on discovery of the loss next morning. Owing to the badness ot

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