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'File 22/1 I Miscellaneous correspondence regarding establishment of observatory at Bahrain' [‎5r] (15/612)

The record is made up of 1 file (307 folios). It was created in 20 Jun 1927-28 Apr 1938. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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HID IA ,3T20R0L0GICAL DSPARTM3ITT.
Karachi, the 26 August, 19 0 7.
Dear Sir,
I am grateful to you for the valuable infor
mation contained in your letter I n o.62.0 of 1927, dated the
26th July, 1927, on the subject of an observatory at
3ahre in.
The observatory at Bahrein is for the present
being started as an experimental measure in connection
with the expected airship and aeroplane service from
England to India, in order to collect authentic meteorole-
gical information. After the data collected during a
year is studied the suitability of the place as an obser
vatory will be determined. You will therefore see that
at this stage it is not possible to spend money on perma
nent buildings. If however it is decided at the end of
a year to locate an observatory at Bahrein permanently,
I shall again ask for your help for a suitable site and
necessary buildings.
As matters now stand, the Air Mini's try expect
a mete-orological station to be started at Bahrein as early
as possible so* that at least a year's data are available
before the airships start on the experimental flight
towards the east. I am therefore arranging to recruit
and train necessary personnel for the ooservatory with a
view to sending them afe soon as possible to Bahrein.
As we are all interested in the early estab
lishment of air services between England and India, I
request you to be good enough to help us by allotting, i
possible, a small room or a shed, as a temporary measure,
for keeping observatory equipment in your agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. buildings

About this item

Content

The file comprises correspondence and other papers sent to and from the Bahrain Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , relating to the set-up and subsequent day-to-day running of a weather observatory in Bahrain. The file begins with a letter from the head meteorologist of the India Meteorological Department in Karachi, addressed to 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. (20 June 1927), stating that the Government of India, in conjunction with the London-Karachi Aviation Weather Service, wish to start an Upper Air Observatory at Bahrain (f 1). The Agent, liaising with the British Adviser to the Bahrain Government (Charles Belgrave) confirms that land adjacent to the existing telegraph office is available. He confirms that accommodation for the two weather observers is available in town (f 3).

Correspondence throughout the remainder of the file relates to the ongoing maintenance and running of the observatory. A number of themes are repeated through the file, which can be summarised as follows: the rent of land and buildings for the observatory, and accommodation for the observers; arrangements for the delivery of equipment and correspondence from India, and duty to be paid at the Bahrain customs house; medical requirements of and health checks for the observatory staff; periodic repairs to the observatory premises; damage to and theft of observatory equipment; misuse and appropriation of observatory land; proposals to erect fencing around observatory land; recruitment of local labour to manufacture weather balloons.

Extent and format
1 file (307 folios)
Arrangement

The correspondence and other papers in the file have been arranged in chronological order, from the earliest piece at the beginning, to the latest at the end. Office notes were maintained at the end of the file from December 1932 onwards (ff 275-300), and mirror the chronological order of the file papers.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: There are two incomplete foliation sequences and one complete sequence. One incomplete sequence is circled in red crayon; the other is written in pencil, in the top right corner. The complete sequence is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of each folio. It begins with the first item of correspondence, on number 1, and ends on 300, which is the last folio of writing. Foliation anomalies: no f 78; no f 104; no f 121; no ff 133-141. Letters have been used to number the following folios: f 53A; f 113A; f 113B; f 144A; f 145A; f 146A; f 153A; f 182A; f 189A; f 192A; ff 240A-D; f 269A.

Written in
English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script
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'File 22/1 I Miscellaneous correspondence regarding establishment of observatory at Bahrain' [‎5r] (15/612), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/1689, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023598264.0x000010> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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