'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part II. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎2660] (1177/1262)

ties of observing during my present cruise. From this place the principal caravan
route strikes into the interior of Persia, tapping its chief cities in succession, and
ultimately reaching: the capital; here the wires of the Indo-European telegraph
which in their earlier stages have brought Persia into connection with Europe, which
nave done so mucn to strengthen the authority of the Shah in his own dominions, and
which carry the vast majority of the messages from India to England, dip into the sea;
here is the residence of the Persian official who is charged with the Governorship of
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Ports by his Government, with whom our relations are invariably
those of the friendliest nature ; and under these combined auspices—the British
bringing the bulk of the trade and policing the maritime highway and the Persians
gradually consolidating an authority which, though once precarious, is now assured—
this place has grown from a small fishing village into a flourishing town of 20,000
inhabitants ; it has become the residence of foreign Consuls and Consular officers;
the leading mercantile communities who trade in Southern Persia and Turkey have
their offices and representatives bere ; there is seldom a day in which steamers are not
lying off the port; and Btishehr has acquired a name which it is safe to say is known
in every part of the world.
This development is the more remarkable because, as yon have pointed out, no one
could contend that trade is conducted here under favourable conditions ; ou the
contrary there are few, if any, of the conditions that naturally mark out a place as
an emporium or channel of commerce. Bushehr can hardly be said, even by the widest
stretch of imagination, to possess a harbour. Landing is difficult and often
impracticable. The trade-route that penetrates into the interior is one of the most
difficult in Asia ; and in land you do not find a people enjojing great wealth or a high
standard of comfort or civilisation, but instead you encounter tribes leading a nomadic
form of existence ; and even when you come to the settled paits of the country and
the larger cities, the purchasing power of the people does not appear to be great.
The fact that a large and flourishing trade has grown up in spite of these drawbacks
is an irrefutable proof of the dependence of Persia upon outside supply for many of the
necessities and most of (he luxuries of life. Since 1 first visited Bushehr fourteen
years ago I have always indulged the hope that, as time passed on, progress would be
made in all these directions, and I agree with you in thinking that the Persian
Government could embark upon no more remunerative form of expenditure than the
improvement both of the maritime and the inland approaches to this place.
During the time in which I have filled my present office in India T have done my
best to facilitate the prngress of trade, and to ensure the adequate protection of British
interests in the Gulf and in the adjoining provinces and territories. His Majesty's
Government at home have also been warmly interested in the matter. The result of
these efforts has been that we have gradually developed the Nushki-Sistan trade-
route, which is now a recognised channel of commerce to Eastern Persia. We have
appointed a Consul in Sistan, and are about to extend the telegraph thither. We now
have Indian officers residing as Consul at Kirman, and as Vice-Consul at Bandar
'Abbas, where we are about to build a Consular residence ; we have connected Masqat
by cable with Jashk, and we hope for further telegraphic extensions in the interests
of trade. We have established a 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. at Bahrain, and we now have a Consul
at Mnhammareh and a Yice-Consul at Ahwaz. The Karun trade-route has made
substantial progress 5 , and has been supplemented by the newly opened road, with
caravanserais and bridges, through the Bakhtiyari country to Isfahan. A British
Consul has also been appointed to Shiraz. We have improved and accelerated the mail
service to all the Gulf ports. British India steamers now call at Kuwait as well.
During the same period British medical officers have been lent by us to the Persian
Government to conduct the quarantine arrangements in the Gulf. Simultaneously
British interests have found a most vigilant spokesman at Tehran in His Majesty's
Minister, Sir Arthur Hardinge, who has been good enough to accompany me through
out my present journey, and with whom I have enjoyed many opportunities of
discussing common interests of the Home and Indian Governments in Persia. I hope
that our discussions may be fraught with advantage to the interests that we jointly
represent.
Altogether, Gentlemen, I think it may be said that in Bushehr, you receive an
amount of attention that is not always extended in similar measure to places so remote
head-quarters, while the fact that a British Resident lives in your midst and is
able personally to look after your conoerns, which I am glad to learn from your address