"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [و‎‎١‎٤‎٠] (٣٩٦/٢٨٦)

FOR THE YE.xil 1918.
45
His Majesty's Vice-Consulleft for the North at the end of August and
while at Chighakor arranged with the Khans for the raising of 500 sowars
under Hahihullah Khan and Bahadur-us-Sultaneh, the cost bein 01 borne hy
His Majesty's Government. These sowars were employed almost at once
in expelling over 3,000 Darashuri families accompanied by Soalat-us-Sultaneh
and one or two rebel Darashuri chiefs who invaded Bakhtiari in September
while attempting to escape from the Illbegi of the Kashqai.
By the end of September the question of the Isfahan Governorship became
acute. The province had been disgracefully governed first by Shahab-us-
Sultaneh, withMurtaza Quli Khan as a sleeping partner, acting on behalf of the
Samsam -us-Sultaneh and Sardar Mohatasham, and later by Amir Mufakhkham.
Brigands such as Jaffar Qali and Eiza Juzdani were all powerful in the district
and it was obvious that a strong force was necessary to cope with them. This
the Persian Government was unable to supply and it was therefore suggested
that Sardar Zaffar might be given the Governorship while continuing nommally
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 the result of which the former received
Isfahan and the latter Yezd. _ Sardar Zaffar also undertook to place all the
resources of Bakhtiari afc the disposal of Sardar Jang in Isfahan.
The operations undertaken against the Kughilus had the effect of keeping
Lynch Eoad. r0ac ^ open throughout the year and
merchants were enabled to deal with the
enormous congestion of goods which had been dumped on the 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 rates of hire which averaged £150 per
ton throughout the year. A contributory cause was the fact that in some
cases British shippers consigned goods destined for Isfahan to more than one
firm in Ahwaz with the result that merchants were bidding against each other
for mules to deliver the goods of the same firm.
Messrs. Lynch Brothers forwarded only 20,897 cwts. as against 46,964
G^ts. 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-Fersiau Oil Company. results aS in Previous years.
To meet the increasing production, sites for new pumping stations have
been determined on at Mulla Sani, Kut Abdullah and Dorquain where turbine
pumpa driven by steam turbines will be installed.
A new wagon road was started during the year between Baitwand and
Maidan-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 scheme for the supply of drinking water from Ab-i-Gargar at Dar-i-
Khazinah has been completed and a good supply of water is now available at
Tembi and the Oilfields.
Medical.
Total number of new patients treated :—
(a) Out-patients—
Male
Female
Children (male) .
„ (female)
Total . 5,104
915
586
390
N