Page 519 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

ADMN. REPORT OF THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR W10. 23
was called to discuss certain proposals put forward by the Director of Cus­
toms at Bushire. It was proposed to establish bonded warehouses, to oe
erected by local merchants, for goods imported for transhipment, which would
enter and leave the Port duty free, paying only the ordinary office dues for
import .and export papers plus 2 per cent, to cover the cost of the extra super­
vision entailed.
The merchants however thought this would be little or no advantage and
rejected the proposal. They held out for a reduction in.the Tariff to 5 per
cent, ad valorem'as the only means of reviving trade at Lingah.
Smuggling.—Tea, coffee, and arms are smuggled on the Coast to the
West and East of Lingah with comparative ease, and, although the Customs
launch “ Khorasan ” has made many trips on the Coast, no captures have been
made.
Condition of Country/
Shib Kuh Districts.—The Coastal Districts to the West of Lingah known
as Shib Kuh are split up into the following groups :—

District. Islands. Shaikh or Chief.

Moghu Including the Island of Farur . Shaikh Ahraed-bin-Rashid Marzooqi
(deceased) succeeded by Shaikh
Sultan in December.

Charak Including the Islands of Gaiz Shaikh Saleh bin Muhammad Al Ali.
Taona Shaikh Muhammad bin Kahman.
Kalat Shaikh Ibrahim bin Abdulla Hamadi.
Cheroo . Including the Island of Hinderabi Shaikh Abdulla Abaidali.
Mugam . Including the Island of Shaikh Shuaib Shaikh Ahmed Hamadi.

Revenues are mostly paid to Fars, through the Khan of Bastak as de­
scribed in the Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, the only alterations being in re­
spect to the Charak and Taona districts. The former Shaikh continues to pay
S50 tomans per annum, representing the revenue of Gaiz Island, to the Khan
of Bastak, while the revenue of the Charak district (1,410 tomans per annum)
is paid to the Governor-General at Bushire. The Taoua Shaikh also pays
140 tomans per annum to the Governor-General at Bushire. Shaikh Ahmed
bin Rashid Marzooqi of Moghu died in December and was succeeded by his
eldest son Shaikh Sultan.
All Shib Kuh Shaikhs, except perhaps the Shaikhs of Cheroo and Taona,
are disposed to be very friendly to the British.
In September a fracas occurred between the Shaikhs of Moghu and.
Charak districts and both parties indulged in petty acts of piracy which
fizzled out when they were warned by His Majesty’s Vice-Consul that .their
action entailed serious consequences.
Warawis.--In the middle of October news was received that the Chiefs
of the Warawi, Gaobandi, and Ishkanu districts, lying to the westward of
Mugam, had collected a large force for the purpose of a raid on Shib Kuh,
with Lingah as their objective. Further news of the advance of the attack­
ing force necessitated the presence of a ship at Lingah for the protection of
SvW *nd Property of foreign subjects. H. M. S. “ Fox ” arrived on the
niiwk Ctober At the time the town guard consisted of 10 tofangchis, which
number was supplemented by 60 from Bandar Abbas. The entire popula-
buiMW™ Tch |larmed- M°ne-V freely subscribed by the merchants to
SSL10 £*5? tbv °^sklrts of the t°wn as a defence against.
into