'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎253] (396/1782)

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will be, composed of goods entering the Gulf in square-rigged vessels from Europe, from
territories to the eastward of India, from India itself, etc.; of goods in Native crafts
coming from Western India, Muscat, East Africa, and the Aden coast line of Arabia, of
goods in caravans coming from Meshed, Herat, and other points in Southern Central Asia,
down through Seyd, to Bunder Abbas, the natural outlet for all such trade ; of goods com
ing in caravans b.y way of Tehran, Ispahan, and Shiraz, down to Bushire ; of goods com
ing down the Tigris, whether by river-steamer or boat, to Basreh, and there being tran
shipped into sea-going steamers or craft for transit down the Gulf of a pearl and fishery
trade in the Gulf itself, especially along its western and Arab shore ; and of a trade in
dates and miscellaneous goods coming from and to the ports of the western coast line
between Khewait or Graine to the northward, and Ras-al-Khyma to the southward.
5. The 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. was first established at Bushire, probably for political reasons, and
because it was not then safe to establish it on the opposite Arab shore, which was,
moreover, reputed of deadly climate.
6. That Bushire was not geographically considered by any means the most conve
nient point for effecting the objects which its establishment had in view, is shown from
a glance at the map. For it is plain that, as the series of buccaneers to be overawed were
settled along the lower western coast line of the Gulf between Khuteef, Bahrain, and
Cape Mussundoom, any point along that shore would have had advantages over Bushire
provided the climate and political status had admittted of such an establishment.
7. That Bushire was not a well-selected point, viewed from a navaKpoint of view, is
implied in the fact that the squadron had to find a Head Quarter station elsewhere, apari
from 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. . Bassadore on the unhealthy island of Kishm, was selected
and has since remained the Naval Head Quarters, although we have, I believe, no title to
it other than the verbal permission of the Imam of Muscat, who, by a treaty subsequently
entered into with Persia in 1856, has resigned his own pretensions to sovereignty over
Xishm, and consented to farm it from the Shah for a term of years ; and to hold this
farm under certain treaty conditions, which m;iy any day bring our occupation of
Bassadore into question. Again, that Bushire roads are not convenient for shipping is
equally obvious from the facts that the anchorage is confined, shallow, and exposed, as
from the facts that communication with the shore by boat is slow, hazardous, sometimes
impracticable for days together. The distance of the anchorage from the shore is
nearly four miles-
8. That Bushire was not well selected for the prevention of the slave trade is shown
from a glance at the map. The strategic point for throttling this trade, if by force it can
be suppressed, being (sic) obviously the narrow strait between Capes Jask and Mussun
doom, at the entrance of the Gulf. One steam vessel lying there, with hei bonts out as
flunking parties, miyht visit every craft entering the Gulf more effectuall\ than could a
dozen such vessels cruising in the Gulf after craft, which, having once entered it,
would hug shallow dangerous shores, with slave ports always at hand.
9. Viewed from a war point of view, a station at Cape Mussundoom would, in respect
to the naval command of the Gulf, have possessed as many advantages over Bushire, as
does, in respect to the command of the Mediterranean, Gibraltar possess over an
anahorage like that of Algiers or Tunis
10. That the element of a telegraphic communication is now introduced, and that it
would be convenient to have the main station or the one from which, in the contingency
of breakage in the line on either side, communication could be most readily supplied
by steam, at the same point with the 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. and Coal Dep6t.
11. That a Coal Dep6t is an element which must now be considered on an increased
and an increasing scale, and that it would be advisable to have this depot at the entranca