"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎٢‎٦‎٠] (٦١٦/٥٢٤)

POLITICAL EESIDENCY FOE 1910.
19
arms traffic through Mekran. The Darya Begi agreed to comply and, having
in due course inveigled Mir Barkat on to the " Persepolis," he took him first
to Bandar Abbas and from thence, under a good deal of pressure from the
Eesident who ^ was then coming up the Gulf on his return from leave, sent
him on in the " Persepolis " to Bushire to await his arrival. Meanwhile Mir
Barkat was kept under surveillance. On the Darya Begi's return towards
the end of March, the Resident discussed with His Excellency the best means
of dealing with Mir Barkat. As a free-booter and an arms trader, every
body s sympathies were with him, and it was feared that any pressure on the
Persian Government to award him specific punishment would be met with
the reply tjia^ there had been no trial, that Mir Barka^t professed to have
serious grievances, and in, orde? tb^t his case might be gone Into and disposed
of, it was necessary that he should be called to Tehran. Once in Tehran, it
was known that he would be in a position to pull strings and make difficulties
for us and the Governor of the Gulf Poyts, It was therefore decided that it
would be better to content ourselves with such measures as the Darya Begi
could be got to take against him locally. His Excellency, after some discus
sion, formally agreed to keep Mir Barkat under strict surveillance at Bushire
until such time as he and the British authorities should agree that he might
be released.
Mir Barkat however from the first chafed greatly at being left in Persian
custody and sent repeated appeals to the Resident to be allowed to return to
his country : to these however no ear could be lent. Eventually,, on the 27th
of August, taking advantage of the absence of the Governor in Tangistan and
the corrupt ability or gross negligence of the Deputy Governor, he made his
escape by night across to the mainland and had 24 hours start before his
escape was reported. He made his way successfully back to his country, 400
miles away, being treated as an honoured guest and good sportsman by all the
petty headmen en route.
A heavy smuggling trade in arms was carried on during the year chiefly
through the small ports south-east of Bushire, especially Dilwar. The arms
are all absorbed locally and it is not considered that at present any of these
reach Afghanistan or the Indian frontier. The Customs Department so far
as circumstances permit do their best to check this traffic, and information
of any intended shipment which reaches this Residency is immediately com
municated to the Director, but they have not got the force at their back to
cope with smuggling effectively.
Forty-five slaves who had taken refuge
ave ra e " at Bushire, Shargah, Lingah, Charbar
and Bahrain were manumitted during the year.
The results of the daily observations
Observatory. are recorded in tabular statements Nos.
1 and 2 attached.
The Resident had the R. I. M. S. " Lawrence " to meet him at Maskat, on
Tourg his way out from home in March, and
ours ' called at Jask, Bandar Abbas and Lin
gah on the way up. He visited Bahrain and the Trucial Coast in August
and the Trucial Coast again in December. Visits to Mohammerah 'and
Kuwait were paid in April and October.
His Excellency Rear-Admiral E. J. W. Slade, M.V.O., arrived at
Visit of His Excellency the Naval Com- Bushire in the R. I. M. S. " Lawrence "
mander-in-chief. on the 8th December. He left for the
Shatt-el-Arab, on the 14th, returning again on the 18th. On 26th His Ex
cellency left suddenly for Debai with the Resident in H. M. S. " Hyacinth "
arriving on the 28th December in connection with the attack made on a party
from H. M. S. " Hyacinth " who had been landed in search of arms. The
Flagship returned to Bushire on 2nd January, and His Excellency finally
proceeded down the Gulf on 8th January. • ,
P. Z. COX, Lieuteriant-Volonel,
Political Resident in the Persian Gulf,.
d 2