Page 179 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920

FOIl TUB YEAR 1013. 89

J5 -.Consul was obliged to request the Polit'cal Resident, Busliiro, to use his
•'fluoace. and Mr. I’aul was removed from Lingah.
13 Monsieur Moreau was a happy-go-lucky individual who took little
.Win his work.
1 Monsieur Willcmsons on tlio other hand is almost the polar opposite to
. confreres. Ho is most onergctic and apt to carry matters to extremes.
L lacks in tact, and this defect with excess of zeal often leads to disputes with
L local merchants, with whom he is most unpopular. Ho carries his per-
* nal likes and dislikes with him into liis ofTicc. lie is inclined to bo anti-
Rritidi, though ho has often stated that the best policy is to work hand-in­
love with the British officials. He does so in most cases, hut only because he
?
must.
Smuggling of arms and ammunition, toa, coffee, aniline dye®, tobacco, eto.,
still continues, though the supply of arms
Revenue.
and ammunition from tbo Arab Coast has
fallen off greatly. During the year a Customs launch has been stationed at
kiugali, but she was in no way utilised to try aud prevent smuggling, but
merely to collect revenue from the outposts.
The collectiou of all land revenue has been in the bands of the Customs
throughout the year. Great difficulty has been experienced at times by them
in collecting the revenue from the outposts, and they have been compelled to
apply to His Britannic Majesty’s representative for assistance. The sanction of
the Political Resident was obtained and JCliau Bahadur Aqa Badr was therefore
requested to use his influence with the various semi-indepeudeut Chiefs.
General advice .and assistance was afforded the revenue officials uutil
Mr. Martin Paul, who during the year was appointed Amin-i-Maliyat, began
to intrigue, and set a course of bis own which we could net countenance.
Mr. Martin Paul’s dealings were crooked and some of the collections wore
very cleverly misappropriated.
Kaland.—The same state of things prevails in Nab and, as during the
previous year. Ilis Excellency the Governor of the Gulf Ports has promised
to restore the villages unjustly taken from Shaikh Muhammad Khalfan, and,
although there has been somo talk of an expedition being sent by His Exccl-
leucv, up to tbo end of the year nothing had boon done.
Most of the villages, some of which are withiu half a mile of each other,
hive no communication with one another, and the villagers are in constant fear
of attacks from their neighbours.
Lar.—Lar and the surrounding country was in a constant stato of unrest
throughout the year. In March Ghularn Husaiu Khan, the Governor of Lar
and Chief of the Varavi tribe, was treacherously shot by Saiyid Haji Baba of
Bairam, at a feast given by the latter at Lar. This naturally led to a fight
between tho followers of the respective chiefs, in which some 18 or 20 casual-
lies took place. Saiyid Haji Baba himself expired a few days later from
bounds received at the time. Abdul Husain Khan, the elder son of Ghulam
Husain Khan, succeeded his father as Chief of the Varavis.
Kaioam-uUMulk.—News of the Kawam-ul-Mulk’s intended expedition
to Lar did not tend to improve matters in the interior. Saiyid Abdul Husain,
toe Mad Mulla, commenced stirring up tho peoplo, and collecting fighting men
Horn tho various tribes, with a view to opposing the Kawam. Tho Kawam’s
advent was anxiously awaited by nutnorous Lari merchants, who had become
tired of the tyranny of the Mad Saiyid, whose headstrong acts had led to a state
?* chaos. Trade with the sea-ports had become a most precarious undertaking.
H to anticipated that the trade between Lingah, Bandar Abbas and tha interior
show a very considerable improvement, once the Kawam has got the coun­
ty properly under control.
BatiaA;.—'The Bastakis have boon fairly quiet on the whole. Tho Chief
of Bastak, tho 8owlct-ul-Mulk, had somo slight trouble with somo of his own
Injects, the Janahis, which necessitated Muhammad Riza Khan going to
anak with a small force of tufangchis. A fight ensued in whicn two of