File 4045/1913 'Pt 3 Railways: Trans-Persian Railway; Russian concession; Bandar Abbas-Kerman Railway; Kerman mining concession' [‎48r] (100/428)

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No. 301-S. Confl.), dated Bushire, the 20th (received the 29th) May 1917.
From— Major A. P. Trevor, C.I.E., Deputy 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. , Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
To-The Hon ’ble Mr. A. H. Grant, C.S.I., C.I.E., Foreign Secretary to the Govern
ment of India in the Foreign and Political Department, Simla.
T have the honour to invite a reference to the papers forwarded with Foreign
and Political Department endorsement No. 187-E.A., dated the 6th May 1915
regarding the possibilities of Bustaneh, a village west of Bandar Abbas, as a site for
the terminus of the Bandar Abbas-Kerman Railway. I notice the matter has also
beeh alluded to by Lieutenant-Colonel Orton in his telegram No G -17 dated
26th March 1917.
At the request of His Majesty’s Vice-Consul, Major J. M. Holmes, I.M.S., who
has recently been to Bandar Abbas on sanitary duty, visited Bostana and has
reported on its possibilities for a cantonment from the sanitary point of view.
I beg to enclose a copy of Major Holmes’ report, in which, as will be seen,
he condemns Bustaneh, and pronounces (apart from nautical considerations) in
favour of a site east of Bandar Abbas for the cantonment.
Enclosure No. 1 of Serial No. (33).
Sanitary Report on Bustaneh Area.
I visited, on 30th April 1917, at the request of His Majesty’s Consul, Bandar
Abbas, the village of Bustaneh and inspected the immediate locality in order to
report on the sanitary conditions at present existing there in view of the possibility
of this neighbourhood becoming at some time a sea port town on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
littoral.
.Bustaneh village is a collection of mud huts situated on the coast some 20 miles
west of Bandar Abbas. The site of the village is about 10 or 15 feet above sea level.
The terrene is dead flat and extends inland for l| miles to the foot of hills
which run parallel to sea coast, that is in a direction approximately east and west.
West of the village this ridge of hills curves southwards to within half a mile of the
sea. East of the village there is the same dead ground but here, it is separated from
high water work by dunes of drift sand rising 20 to 30 feet above water level.
This dead ground is nowhere more than ij miles in breadth. In places it
impressed me as being at times flooded and saturated by a high level of sub-scii
water.
Where the natives had attempted to dig wells on this plain water “ was struck ”
at an average depth of about 3j to 4 feet.
Two miles east of village Mr. Howson had pits dug for me and water was found
at a depth of 4| feet. This high level of sub-soil water would constitute a serious
sanitary consideration were buildings on this site to be contemplated. Drainage
would be difficult as this ground is little above sea level. Trenches and “ bunds
dug along foot of the hills might meet with success but, after a fall, of some inches of
rain, rapid and extenive flooding from these hills seems probable. As far as I am
aware the average annual rainfall is not known. Heav.y rain does, however,
I believe, fall in this locality at intervals during the cold season.
The sub-soil water is'brackish in taste, and is probably carried dowm on imper
meable strata from the hills which are in many places of salt formation.
The soil consists of loose sand except where water has percolated through and
cultivation has been attempted. With the exception of scattered date palm groves
no cultivation or verdure is now to be seen.
The climate for greater part of the year is probably exceedingly hot and damp as
winds blowing from the west, the north, and the north-east must be almost entirely
cut off. It seemed to me that only breezes blowing up or down Clarence Strait can :
reach the Bustaneh plain.
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