Page 269 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

TOR TIIK TEAR 1915. 127
rtfugc or "dliaramsala”. Tho yearly subscription to llio fund for those willing
(0 subsoribo was fixod at not less than R6 each. In March it was stated that
cfTorU wero being made to obtain tho services of Assistant Surgeon Davud-ur-
jlalunan Khan who is a Sunni Muhammadan and, when in medical charge of
tl,0 Kuwait Political Agoncy during 1904-1907, was held in high esteem by
local Arabs. Later, however, Shaikh Mubarak brought a Turkish doctor by
namc Asad Beg from Basrah as his personal medical attendant and placed him
in charge of the new charitable dispensary. Alter a visit to Bombay, during
■which Asad Beg purchased sonic 115,000 worth of medicines ana surgical
instruments, charitable work at the dispensary began. In October lie accompa­
nied the Shaikh to Pailiyah and there resigned his appointment. The Arab
dispensary being without a doctor the Shaikh eventually sent the medicines
ana instruments left in the dispensary to Basrah and disposed of them for some
112,000 only. It seems fairly evident that Dr. Asad Beg succeeded in lining
his pockets to no small extent during the short period he was in Kuwait The
scheme at the outset was not received very favourably by the elders of the town
who said that they should have been, consulted, and its collapse was no great
surprise.
Mr. E. II. Pascoe of the Geological Survey of India arrived, in February, to
make preliminary investigations for a
Water 6npply.
water-supply scheme, a reference to
which was made in last year’s report. In connection with this he visited
Bandar Shuwaikh, Kubbar Island, Warah Hill and adjacent places in order to
obtain geological data as to strata and formations. The matter is still under
consideration with the Government of India and, up to the dale of this report,
no decision had been reached as to whether a supply from artesian well-borings
or from a seawater condensing plant-would be the more advantageous. The
matter is an important one, in which an early decision is much to be desired.
At the beginning of August there was one serious water-famine owing to a
strong " Shamal ” which lasted 10 days preventing the sailing of any boats.
A new tank-steamer, “ Saeed ”, ordered by the Shaikh from the Clyde to
supply water to the town from the Sliat-el-Arab arrived on the 16th October.
It is improbable that she will bo able to cope with the requirements of the
town but, wheu she took up her duties, it was found that she was more success­
ful than was at first anticipated, for she could deliver over 300 tons of water
every 3 or 4 days. The Shaikh has not kept her regularly at the duty for
which she was imported and she is now undergoing alterations with a view to
making her more of a yacht or passenger vessel.
Up to the end of the year the postal work of the town has been performed
by the Political Agent’s office, but it is
Poitol Matter!.
satisfactory to observe that all arrange­
ments are in an advanced state and that tho inauguration of a regular Indian
Inland Post Office at Kuwait will take place as soon as the Anglo-Turkish
Convention is published.
The exchange of the Maria Theresa dollar fluctuated between R151-J and
115 per 100 dollars from January to
Exchange.
May. In June it began to rise steadily
until it reached R154-8 per cent, in October when the boats returned from the
pearl fisbories ; subsequently it declined to R118 per cent, in December. Sove­
reigns, rupees, annas and copper pice were exchanged throughout the
year at their par values.
The anniversary of tho birthday of His Majesty the King-Emperor was
_.. M celebrated on the 3rd June by the distri*
c n on*‘ bution of alms to the poor and the dress-
jug of tho Agency and Shaikh’s flagstaffs. In the evoning the A^oncy was
illuminated and a roooption held by the Political Agent which Shaikhs Jabir
und Salim and other members of tho Shaikh’s family, and all tho leading men
in Kuwait attended.
Tho usual congratulatory visits wore paid by tho Politioal Agent to mem-
°°ri of tho Shaikh’s family and some of the leading men on the Id-ui-Fitr on
Ibe 2nd and 3rd September.