Page 77 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

Zubarah, 1874-1878 403

JOURNAL OF POLITICAL EVENTS ON THE WEST AND NORTH­

WEST FRONTIER FOR JANUARY 1879.

Section II.—Persia and Persian Gulf.
A scheme for tho employment of Russian officers to drill tho Shah’s troops
is now in contemplation at Toheran. Tho idea is said to liavo originated with
tho Shah himself when ho was at St. Petersburg!!, but it was at first only
intonded to omploy two Cossack officers to drill tho Shah’s body-guard consist­
ing of 500 irregular horso. Tho officers wero to be selected from tho Russian
garrison at Tiflis. Her Majesty's Churg6 d’Affaires addrossed tho Persian Minis­
ter for Poroigu Affairs on tho subject/and represented that it would be very
undcairablo to allow Russian officers to ontcr tho Persiau scrvico at tho present
. timo. Tho Minister acquiesced in this view, and so lato us IGtlr January, Mr.
Thomson was sanguine that'tho scheme would fall through. On tho 20th Janu­
ary, howoyor, ho tolographod that tho.’ Russian Minister was strongly urging
tho Porsian-'Govornmentto omploy tholQossuok offieora, and that it was also
proposed to send for other officers, and . to turn out a Porsiau forco of 5,000
men cquippod,-armed, and drilled like. Cossacks.
Tho. Austrian Military Mission arrived at Teheran ou 5th January.
Sheikh All bin Klmlifah, the Governor of Liugah, has boon murdered by
his former .Vazir, Shoikh Yusaf, wJio is supposed to bo desirous of succeeding
him.*
Tho.Persian Government Iioyo replaced the embargo on tho exportation
of grain from tho porta of Pars.
Tho' Zohnra difficulty has been satisfactorily settled. Ou receiving the
instructions roferred to in tho last journal, tho Commander of Turkish gun-boat
Iakandoria.proceeded to.Zobara, wlicro ho had a personal interview with tho
2.; .