Page 627 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

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FOB THE YEAR 1018.
His Majesty’s Vice-Consul left for the North at the end of August, and
while at Chighakor arranged with the Khans for the raising of 600 sowars
under ITnbibullah Kliau and Bahadur-us-Sultaneh, the cost being borne by
llis Majesty’s Government. Theso sowars wore employed almost at onco
in expelling over 3,000 Darashuri families accompanied by Soyilat-us-Sultanen
aud one or two rebel Darashuri chiefs who invaded Bakhtiari in September
vliile attempting to escape from tho Illbogi of the Kashqai
By the end of September the question of tho Isfahan Governorship became
acute. The province bad been disgracefully governed first by Shahab-us-
Sultaneh, with Murtaza Quli Khan as a slocping partner, acting on bohalf of the
Samsam-us-Sultaneh and Sardar Mohatasham, and later by Amir Mufakhkham.
Brigands such as Jaflar Quli and Riza Juzdani were all powerful in the district
and it was obvious that a strong forco was necessary to cope with them. This
the Persian Government was unable to sup ply and it was therefore suggested
that Sardar ZafTar might be given the Governorship while continuing nominally
as Illkhani. This suggestion met with strong opposition from the Tehran Khans
and for this reason was not received favourably by the Cabinet. During a visit
to Tehran in December by His Majesty’s Consul-General, Isfahan, the Vice-
Consul, Ahwaz, and Sardar Zaffar it was found possible to effect a reconciliation
between Sardars Jang and Zaffar as tho result of which the former received
Isfahan and the latter Yezd. Sardar Zaffar also undertook to place all the
resources of Bakhtiari at the disposal of Sardar Jang in Isfahan.
The operations undertaken against the Kughilus bad the effect of keeping
Lynch Road. the road open throughout the year and
merchants were enabled to deal with the
enOTnous congestion of goods which had been dumped on tho road by mule­
teers during the previous summer.
The keen competition among merchants to get these goods through to
Isfahan coupled with the shortage of mules and the high price of barley in
Bakhtiari caused a large increase in the rales of hire which averaged £160 per
ton throughout the year. A contributory cause was the fact that in some
cases British shippers consiened goods destined for Isfahan to more than one
firm in Ahwaz with the result that merchants were bidding against each other
lor mules to deliver the goods of the same firm.
Messrs. Lynch Brothers forwarded only 20,897 cwts. as against 46,964
cwts. in 1917, but of the latter figure about 15,000 cwts. had been dumped on
the road and only reached its destination in 1918.
Drilling operations at Maidan-i-Naphtun have given the same satisfactory
Anglo-Persian Oil Company. results as in previous years.
To meet the increasing production, sites for new pumping stations have
been determinedon at Slulla Sani, Kut Abdullah and Dorquain where turbine
pumps driven by steam turbines will be installed.
A new wagon road was started during the year between Baitwand and
Aiaidan-i-Naphtun which when completed will be suitable for mechanical
transport. The alignment has only two river crossings which will be bridged
as opposed to some 30 river crossings on the old cart road. °
The sohemo for the supply o£ drinking water from Ab-i-Gargar at Dar-i-
^.nazmah has been completed and a good supply of water is
Tembi and the Oilfields. now available at
Medical.
Total number of new patients treated :—
(a) Out-patients—
.......................................................................
Female................................... 3,213
Children (male) . . . # 0 915
„ (female) . • 686
390
Total
6,104

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