Page 84 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

78
As Into ns 1895 the snid Sheikhs had declared
that, although the Chief of Slmrgnh on their
behalf hnd duly represented to the British
Government, that the ownership of the island
was vested in him, as Chief of tho Jowasmis,
the British Government hnd rofrnined from
moving in the matter, and that thoy themselves
had consequently been unable to enforce their
rights by their own unaided efforts.
A full precis of tho correspondence relating to
tho occupation of Sirri is contained in n letter,
dated Bushiro, tho 19th August, 1888, from
Colonel Boss to His Majesty’s Minister at Tehran
(vide Government of India Proceedings, Septem­
ber 1888, No. 104).
Sir Arthur llnrdinge, in commenting on tho
correspondence between Mnjor Cox and tho
Government of India, deprecated raising the (Vide tujn-n.t
ease of Sirri, unless tho Persian Government
forced tho question upon His Majesty’s Govern­
ment, since the latter were face to face with an
occupation in which they had acquiesced for
very many years, though they had not formally
recognized it.
He added that M. Naus had consented to
strike out Sirri from the list of Customs ports
enumerated in the il R6glement Douanier.”

Part III.—COMMERCE.
(a.) The Pearl Fisheries.
The pearl fisheries constitute 60 important a
factor in the general policy of His Majesty’s
Government in tho Persian Gulf, that con­
siderable space is allotted to the consideration of
this subject, and the three principal papers
which bear upon it are quoted in extenso. These

(I.) A despatch from the Government of India
dated the 10th March, 1904;
(II.) A Report submitted by tho Law Officers
of the Crown to Lord Lansdowne, dated the
] 1th February, 1905; and
(III.) A despatch to the Viceroy from the
Secretary of State for India, dated the 31st
March, 1905.
I.
“Iu tho course of our recent examination of
problems connected with the Persian Gulf, the