Page 132 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

122 PERSIAN GULF ADMINISTRATION RErORT
The British India Steam Navigation Company’s fortnightly sl0w
steamers continued to call at v ^
supping. regularly on their outward and i,^a-
voyages throughout the year, and the service meets the needs of the port
steamers being sent when shipments required. * ^
The Arab Steamers Limited also maintained a so-called fortnightly ^
to and from Bombay, but their steamers were very irregular in sailings
February the local agent mace a general reduction in rates to attract pa^om^
and freight, but it is doubtful whether the Company has made any subslautv
profit on the year’s working. ^
The British India Steam Navigation Company’s S. S. “ Putiala1
stranded at about 2-30 a.u. on the 21th February on the south side of a
Ras-al-Arz promontory. The ship was in a dangerous position if an cast i
south wina had sprung up, but fortunately was got off on the eveninr
of the 25th with the aid of the R.I.M S. “Palinurus” which W
pened to he in harbour. Lighters were despatched with some difficulty owi^
to a northerly wind and part of the ship's cargo discharged before she floated of: .
Three English steameis the S. S. “Gogovale”, “ Gorjist-an ” an;
“Roller” called at Kuwait during the year. The first with 10,000 cases o'
kero sine oil for Me*sr3. Gray Paul and Company, and the second and third tc
load Basrah dates.
The collision case between a Kuwait “boom ” “Fateh-i-Kbair” and ft*
English steamer “ TTashiagtonin the Shalt-el-Arab, a reference to which w£i
made in the last year’s leport, has bad to be dropped. The plaintiff’s agent firr.
misrepresented liis nationality and subsequently the plaintiff himself bungled
mevters in spite of advice given him by His Majesty’s Consul at Basrah and"the
Political Agent, who loth endeavoured to obtain compensation for him from
the owners, Messrs. Furness, T7ithy and Company. Finally the owners repu­
diated all liability, alleging the “boom ” to have been in fault, and the plaintif
found himself left witlicut redress except by a suit in the Admiralty Courts in
London, a course he has not yet taken.
A traveller by name II. Barclay Itaunkiaer of Banish nationality arrived
in Kuwait on 2Sth January frem Basrah,
Fcrc'.gncra and Tjsr&in.
intending to go to Hofliuf. He wore
Arab costume and spoke French and English well but knew very little Arabic
and was accompanied by one servant-interpreter, a Baghdad Christian. Be
was travelling as a Karardist Explorer under the auspices of the Banish Geo­
graphical Society, for etn.rgrapineal, botanical and geographical purposes.. He
left Kuwait on the 24th February travelling with a caravan to Zilfiand Boreidah;
thence he reached IMadh through Sadair and finally through Hofhuf and Ojair
to Bahrain. He was given letters by the Shaikh to ensure Ms safe conduct after
it had been ascertained that he was'a bond fide scientific traveller and not bent
on political intrigue.
One styling himself Salim Effendi, and who is really the spendthrift son of
old ELhawaia Abdulla of Iingah, arrived on the 13th July. After remaining #
Kuwait a few days he left for Basrah where he was said to have gone to try and
secure for himself a Turkish Vice-Consulship at Lingali though he gave oni
himself here as already holding that post.
Shaikh Abdul Rahman Bastaki, Sultan-ul-Ulma, who was reported fro®
Lingah as a bad character and a notorious intriguer, arrived in .Kuwait- on U*
26th July and returned to Lingah on the 16th August
The Political Agent was able to make only a short tour of 11 days in
desert to the west of Kuwait in March and ’April. He left in the Ag®*3
Steam Launch “Lewis P~INr” on 6
Tour* and risita of BriUec OdkiaU.
July for a cruise on th
but returned on the 2nd August after meeting H. M. S. “
Ras Bildani, with the Resident’s orders for immediate re1
was visited by him in the “ Lewis Pelly 99 on 13th August returning on the 25*
and His Majesty’6 Consuls at Mohammerah and Basrah twice during the J®*/
The Political Resident in the Persian Gulf visited Kuwait twice
the year in April and July. - -