'Administration Reports 1920-1924' [‎175v] (355/412)

20
A Kishmi on return from Dubai was imprisoned for refusal to pay the tax
whereupon the inhabitants surrounded the Zabit's office, assaulted the latter
and wounded his Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. .
The Customs and administrative officials fled from the village and came to
Bandar Abbas.
The Director^ of Customs accompanied by the Governor and the Rais-i~
Kushun visited Kishm village in the above connection.
. Later a party of local merchants also proceeded to that place and an
amicable settlement was arranged with the inhabitants.
In August a band of Kauristani tribesmen from the mainland raided the
village of Laft on the Island, looted four houses and carried off 2,500 krans in
cash and eight bags of rice.
No action appears to have been taken by the authorities nor any result
achieved.
C ondition of R oads.
The security of the routes leading from Bandar Abbas into the interior does
not strike the ' powers that be ' as being of very great importance in their own
interests as also of trade in general. Little or no attention was paid to this
question and except for a few guards from the Amnieh Department at Kerman
on the road leading in that direction, other routes were left unprotected, and
at the mercy of tribal highway men.
Bandar Abbas-—Isin route. —One robbery was reported in June when
merchandise belonging to a Persian merchant and valued aj: 2,000 krans was
looted by Kauristanis.
Bandar Abbas-Kerman route. —A caravan conveying goods belonging to
British traders was attacked on the 7th October and two loads of piece-goods
worth 2,400 krans carried off.
A British Indian subject whilst travelling from Kerman to the coast early
in November, reported that his caravan had been attacked en route in the Fars
area and he himself robbed of all his belongings valued at Krans one thousand.
Bandar Abbas-Minab route. —The state of this road was bad for the first
nine months of the year but that of the other routes proceeding from Minab
to Rudan and Rudbar, etc., was worse and practically closed during August
and September. However, no looting of the property of Indian traders on this
road was reported during the year.
Lingah.-v-ThSi-nk^ to the very adequate arrangements made by the adminis
tration of H. E. the Qawwam-ul-Mulk, the Lar-Lingah road continued to be safe
and peaceful throughout the year and not a single case of robbery was reported
thereon,
A ems T eaffic.
No cases were reported during the year in this Consular district.
Information from local Custojiis sources was received to the effect that 250
rounds of mauser rifle ammunition imported into Charbar on account of Din
Muhammad Khan Baluch was confiscated by that Department in February, but
the ammunition was subsequently retaken possession of forcibly by that Chief's
Baluch followers.
S lave T eaffio.
Bandar Abbas. —Seven slaves sought asylum at H. B. M. Consulate. Of
these five received manumission papers ; one died of small-pox and one slave
absconded before the necessary certificate could be issued.
Ling ah. —Six slaves applied for their freedom of whom four had been
manumitted up to the end of the year.
P ersian N avy.
The Gunboat Pehlevi recently acquired by the Persian Government arrived
from Aden on the 18th December and sailed for Bu shire on the 27th December.
She is a small fuel burning vessel built in Germany and armed in Italy.
The Gunboat was brought^ut by a Russian Armenian Skipper and a Ger
man Crew, There were no guns on board when she called here.