Page 537 - PERSIAN 5 1905_1911

POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1910. 41
of. whose tribes lost no time in deserting him, took refuge after a brief skir­
mish with A. Rahim. The latter had intended to send him assistance, but
the Amir Muffakham’s adherents, with the approval of their chief, made it
clear to him that if he supported Farhan actively they on their part would
render a similar service to the Shaikh. Farhan finally took refuge with the
Jiakhtiari, with whom he still was at the close of the year. A request on
the part of llis Majesty’s Minister to the Sardar that he should use his in­
fluence to prevent A- Rahim from supporting Farhan or from protecting him
in any way, was met by the assertion that the Shaikh had no right to coerce
him; he refused altogether to hand him over to the Shaikh. The Shaikh,
who throughout the affair kept the Governor of Arabistan and the Minister
of Interior fully apprised of his intentions and objects, threatened to pursue
to Ab-bid unless his subject, Haidar of the A1 Kathir, was released from
Ab-bid, whence he had been taken as a prisoner by Farhan; the threat was
successful, and Haidar was set free without delay.
At the close of the year no settlement between the Shaikh and Farhan had
been effected, and a renewal of hostilities seemed not unlikely.
M. Zwinne was Provincial Director till October, when he went on six
months’ leave, being replaced by M.
Customs Administration.
Delcroix from Kermanshah. Both were
on the whole pleasant and helpful in their attitude to the Consulate, though
M. Zwinne was much disliked by the Oil Company, who had however only
themselves to thank for any severity he may have shown to them. M. Del­
croix evinced at first a disposition to interfere in quarantine matters, and to
make new and irksome rules and regulations, but the phase was transient,
and he soon settled down to steady work in his legitimate sphere.
The relations of the Customs with the Shaikh were on the whole good, but
the unwonted activity of the Steam Launch “ Mnzaffari ” in the autumn, the
dismissal of Shaikh Abdul Hussein, Director at Nasiri, and the proposal of
the Central Administration to place a Belgian in the latter place, in violation
of the Firman, which stipulated that only one Belgian should be employed in
Arabistan, caused the Shaikh some anxiety, and negotiations were proceeding
at the close of the year, with the assistance of His Majesty's Minister, to en­
sure that the Shaikh’s firman should not lose any of its force by reason of the
new appointment proposed.
Smuggling continued unabated throughout the year.
No cases of plague occurred throughout the year.
Assistant Surgeon G. B. Rehling, I.S.M.D., held charge throughout the
year, except for three months during
Quarantine.
the autumn., when he was temporarily re­
placed by Assistant Surgeon Lincoln from Bandar Abbas.
Cholera broke out in Baghdad, in September, and found its way thence to
Basrah, Moharamerah, Fallahiyah and Ah war. Numerous deaths occurred in
Mohammerah, Fallahiyah and also in the Shaikhs army which was collected
at the time near Ahwaz.
Quarantine was imposed at Ahwaz on arrivals from Mohammerah, and
strict medical inspection of bailams arriving at Mohammerah from Basrah
SSifK ar^n§e^ for- No Action occurred, but the Sanitary Council of
ShniL-h’cPPLld— for some 700 tomans expenditure through the agency of the
? PiyS!CiaD’ Assistant Surgeon Francis {retired) on disinfectants, etc.
or use in the town of Moharamerah, a singularly futile waste of money.
Fast and slow mails called weekly
Marine.
and fortnightly respectively throughout
the year. &
ihe local postal service was very satisfactorily carried on. At the Close
Posts. * weekly service between
remains to be seen whether it will ..IT? a.nd IspTah?n was started, but it