"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٧‎٢] (١٧٨٢/٥١٥)

372
Interest in the British settlement of Basidu on Qishm Island was
revived by the situation which now existed. Enquiry in 1901 showed
that the relics of former British military and naval occupation comprised
the remains of two double-storeyed dwelling-houses, an Assistant Sur
geon's house, the house and store-room of a contractor, a workshop, a
small barrack, a small caravanserai, a cemetery, and three water-tanks;
but all of these were in bad repair, and all the buildings, except one of
the dwelling-houses, were unrepairable. The Coal Agent in charge of the
British flag-staff and flag and his assistant w r ere found to be occupying
quarters of their own in the neighbourhood which were not the property
of Government. It was decided that, as the Government buildings were
not required, no attempt should be made to repair them. In order,
however, to emphasize the British position at Basidu it was ordered that
the flag, which hitherto it had been customary to hoist only on Sundays,
on holidays, and on the arrival of a ship, should be flown in future every
day from sunrise to sunset.
In 1902 the extent of the British station at Basidu was investigated,
and it appeared that the limits had never been defined. The adjoining
villages of bingau and Old Basidu (the former uninhabited since 1883,
the latter known also by the alternative name of Nakhlistan) had at one
time, it was believed, formed part of the British station ; but they had
at a later period come to be regarded as situated outside—Singau since
1864, and Old Basidu since 1874 at least—and taxes had been collected
at both by the Persian Zabit of Qishm. The Government of India, on
consideration of the evidence, directed that Singau should be treated as
included in, and Old Basidu—where revenue was still taken by the
Persian authorities—as excluded from, the British station they suggested
however to the Secretary of State for India that it was possible, and might
be advisable, to claim for the British station the same limits as had
belonged to the earlier Portuguese settlement, which apparently included
Nakhlistan and dal'eh Haji Karim.
In 1901 attention was directed to a channel which leads from the open
sea to Basidu along the southern and western coasts of Qishm and which,
it was thought, might be found deeper and more convenient for steam
vessels than the ordinary direct approach. A survey of this channel
was accordingly ordered, but want of time prevented its" execution in the
season 1901-02, and, though it was examined by the Royal Indian
arme Ship Lawrence," and traversed by Lord Curzon in 1903, it was
not ^eluded in the survey programme of 1904-05. Eventually it was
arranged that unless more important work interfered, it should be carried
out in the cold weather of 1905-06.