'Administration Report of the Persian Gulf Political Residency for the Years 1911-1914' [‎65r] (134/488)

POLITICAL RESIDENCY An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. FOR 1911. ^0
Only five vaccinations were performed during the year, of which three
proved unsuccessful and the rest remained unknown. The lanoline lymph
from the Bangalore Laboratory is said to have given better results than the
preserved vaccine from Belgaum which is being supplied now.
Quarantine.- —Until the end of June passengers arriving from infected
ports were detained in boats to undergo the quarantine period. In July,
however, it is satisfactory to note, the Shaikh was induced to establish
better quarantine arrangements, and when Basrah and Mohammerah were
cholera-infected in August and Bahrain in December, passengers were iso
lated on Kurain Island where tents were pitched for their accommodation
and water and supplies sent daily from the town by the Shaikh.
Abdul Mehsin, the Shaikh's Customs Master who had sole control of the
CuBtoms Administration. management of the Customs, over-
reached himself m August and his
peculations and overbearing attitude towards the merchants were at last
brought to the Shaikh's notice. Shaikh Mubarak therefore deputed Haii
Ali, formerly the British News Agent in Kuwait, to keep all accounts of the
Customs receipts and payments jointly with Abdul Mehsin and gave him an
Arab clerk to help in the work. The measure seems to have satisfied
merchants.
Naval and Marine. XT The foj^wing ships of His Majesty's
. _ -Navy and Royal Indian Marine visited
Kuwait during the year :—
H. M. S. " Philomel," on 27th January and 18th February.
H. M. S. " Highflyer," on 21st April.
R. I. M. S. <c Palinurus," on 29th September 1911.
R. I. M. S. " Lawrence " visited Kuwait five times during the year.
His Excellency Rear-Admiral Sir Edmond Slade, K.C.I.E., M.V.O.,
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Squadron, with the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
visited Kuwait in the " Highflyer " accompanied by the " Lawrence" in
April. The usual visits were exchanged with the Shaikh.
Despite the vigilance of British men-of-war in the Gulf of Oman and
Arms Traffic. t ^ e Shaikh's express orders prohibiting
. ' his subjects from importing arms into
Kuwait, systematic attempts are still being made to smuggle arms by some
arms-dealers, mostly Persians.
In April 1911, an attempt to smuggle a number of revolvers was made
by a Nakhuda, Haji Sadeck, from Maskat, but they were discovered by the
Customs Master.
In the same month a " boom " in charge of one Ebrahim bin Mishal as
Nakhuda was captured by the Navy with arms on board and taken to Jask.
The " boom " was returning from India and at Maskat the Nakhuda took
rifles on board for conveyance to Kuwait and was promised $10 per rifle as
freight. This " boom," however, was found to belong to a Katr Arab, the
Nakhuda being a Kuwait.
A shipment of 25 cases marked K. R. B. from Antwerp purporting to
contain loaf-sugar, transhipped at Bombay, reached Kuwait without detec
tion in the British India Steam Navigation Company's S. S. " Palamcotta "
on the 24th July. After the steamer had discharged five capes one case was
accidentally broken in being lowered into the lighter alongside the steamer
and rifles were seen packed between the layers of sugar-loaves. The Captain,
in the absence of the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , refused delivery and overcarried the
whole shipment to Basrah to be disposed of under the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. 's
instructions.
A similar shipment containing arms which was on its way to Kuwait
from Antwerp was intercepted by the Customs authorities in Bombay.
About the end of July it was reported that a Persian by name Khalil had
shipped some arms in a boat for Rohilla, but no definite news could be obtained.