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File 2830/1914 Pt 1 'Persian Gulf: Sponge Fisheries. Sponge Exploration Syndicate.' [‎21v] (47/488)

The record is made up of 1 volume (240 folios). It was created in 18 May 1905-11 Dec 1916. It was written in English and French. 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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Exploration Concession. In reply to your note, and for your information,
I have the honour to state that no right whatever has been given by the
Persian Government to the Sponge Exploration ^ Syndicate for pearl
fishery. If the Syndicate is carrying on any operation it is in connection
with the sponge fishery. The Syndicate has so far not applied for, noi
has the Persian Government thought of, granting the right of fishing
for pearls. If any information with regard to this matter has reached
the British Government, the Persian Government has none. If such a
measure has been taken by the Chiefs, or if the British Government has
discovered that they have taken such a measure, I request that the
Persian Government may be notified, in order that the necessary
inquiries may be made, and, if proved to be true, steps for its prevention
may be taken.
You stated in your note under reply that “ the pearl banks on the
“ Persian shore are visited by boats from the coasts of Arabia as well as
“ Persia, the inhabitants of which are allowed to fish on payment of fees
“ to the local authorities.” You also referred to your note of the 18th
June 1900.
As I do not properly understand your object in making this state
ment I cannot give a reply. But when you state in this connection that
“ any infraction of those rights would inevitably lead to grave compli-
“ cations which both Governments wish to avoid,” I have no doubt you
will consider me justified in expressing surprise, for the Persian
Government have always on important occasions given, and will give,
proof of their desire to maintain the friendly relations between the two
States, and they will never permit British subjects to suffer in their legal
interests, not speaking of matters of no importance, with regard to
which the Persian Government do not understand why the British
Government take the trouble of making representations.
Annex 3.
Sir C. Spring Rice to Ala es Sultaneh.
3rd April 1907.
I beg to thank you for your note of the 19th instant about the Sponge
Concession.
My object in writing was to prevent any incident arising owing to
misapprehension which could disturb our friendly relations.
.When two people are friends, it is, as you know, their custom not to
wait until a difficulty arises, in order to speak as to their rights. If they
think that a difficulty is likely to arise, their custom is to warn each other
beforehand _ in a friendly way in order that by timely action a difficulty
may be avoided according to the verse “a stitch in time saves nine ” and
“prevention is better than cure.”
The pearl fisheries in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. are of course, as far as they
are within the waters which belong to Persia, Persian property, and no
one will ever dispute these rights. But the rights have in some places
been leased by the local Persian authorities to Arabs, some of whom are
under British protection. If these leases are suddenly altered and
annulled the Arabs will of course complain, and make difficulties and
these difficulties would cause difficulties between our two Governments.
C l rC ! er • t ° a 1 V01( l tllese difficulties I wrote you the letter of
20th October m order that you might know what people say who are in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. namely, that Arabs living on the Arab coast have
contracts giving them the right to fish for pearls in waters belonoW to
Persia which have been given them lawfully by the local Persian
Governors, and that these contracts are good and valid and cannot be
cancelled without compensation.
I said this foi two reasons, one, because our Governments are friends
and because it is better for us to warn each other beforehand of any

About this item

Content

The volume concerns the attempts of a British company called the Sponge Exploration Syndicate to obtain concessions for the fishing and exploitation of sponges in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . However, the papers indicate that it was felt by British officials that the real object of the company was to exploit the Gulf's pearl banks, which entailed the risk of infringing Britain's treaty obligations with the Arab states.

The principal correspondents are the Foreign Office; Major Percy Zachariah Cox, acting as Consul-General for Fars, Khuzistan etc., and 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; officials of the 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. and the Government of India; the Viceroy of India (the Earl of Minto); and the Sponge Exploration Syndicate Limited.

The papers include: letters of application for concession rights from the company; the granting of a concession to the company by the Government of Persia; the granting of a concession to the company by the Sultan of Muscat; a report by the British Museum, on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. as a possible area for successful sponge fisheries (folios 175-176); the involvement of the company with the rulers of the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. ; and the rights of British-protected Arabs. The volume also contains an Admiralty chart of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. on folio 50.

The French language content of the volume consists of an agreement on folios 129-131.

The date range gives the covering dates of the main items of correspondence. This is mainly dated 1905-09, with one item dated 1916. The correspondence also includes enclosures dated 1892 (folios 214-215).

Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, year the subject file was opened, subject heading, and list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 1).

Extent and format
1 volume (240 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

The subject 2830 ( Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. : Sponge and Pearl Fisheries) consists of two volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/456-457. The volumes are divided into two parts with each part comprising one volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 242; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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File 2830/1914 Pt 1 'Persian Gulf: Sponge Fisheries. Sponge Exploration Syndicate.' [‎21v] (47/488), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/456, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038235550.0x000030> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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