'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎200r] (404/1278)

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In 1856 a force of 4,000-5,000 with 1,000 horses lived on the country for
two or three months.
A demand for rations for 400 Indians could probably be met at any time,
and in 1911, at a fortnight’s notice the naval contractor, Mr. Gulzad, pro
duced about 80 maunds of flour. For a force of anything over one batta An extra allowance of pay granted to soldiers involved in special field service or to public servants on special duty.
lion it would be necessary to ship a month’s supply from India, and give a
month’s warning for supplies in Bushire.
There are no mills in Bushire, excepting small hand mills, and some mills
worked by animals.
Supplies {for cereals see above.) —Meat, rice, vegetables, ghi, dates and
fish are procurable in the bazaars. Sheep and goats are plentiful on the
peninsula, but oxen are scarce and small. Fish are caught in large quan
tities (sometimes about 5 tons in a day), and are more plentiful in winter
than in summer. Milk is not drunk and is difficult to obtain. Bread and
soda water are not procurable.
Fuel —Firewood is usually cut in October and November, in the hills
east of Borazjun, and collected for consumption in Bushire and the neigh
bouring villages. This supply lasts from October to February or March ;
but then it ceases, and Bushire becomes dependent upon supplies brought
up the coast by boat from Kangan, Tahiri, etc., etc. From April to Septem
ber, therefore, special arrangements are necessary for collecting large sup
plies of fuel. Charcoal is in general use ; but it is not stored. There are no
coal depots, except private ones for the Royal Navy, the British India
Steam Navigation Company and the Arab S. S. Company ; nor are there
any large oil depots.
Fodder .—There is scarcely any land left for grazing at Bushire, but hay
and fodder are brought in as required from the neighbouring districts,
where the inhabitants store it. In a rainless season there may be no fodder,
but in a good one 500 animals could be fed for a month. Mules go out
to Ahmadi both for grazing and water. The local fodder is chopped straw
to which animals take some time to get accustomed.
Transport. —The only forms of transport are mules, camels and
donkeys.
Mules .—Chiefly mule transport must be relied on for transport up the
Post Road. The number available varies according to the time of year,
the amount of traffic on the Shiraz Road, and the state of public feeling.
Eight hundred mules arrived in Bushire on the “ Nau Ruz ” about 21st
March (1912) : 500 mules arrive fairly frequently. Mules working on the
Bushire-Shiraz Post Road in normal times are said to be between 2,000
to 3,000 at least.
There were 1,500 on the road when the Central India Horse arrived in
November 1911, and there were very unfavourable conditions then prevail
ing. Mules in any numbers would be best procured by the assistance of the
civil authorities, through a broker Often a local commercial agent in the Gulf who regularly performed duties of intelligence gathering and political representation. , who sends out along the road and en
gages them en route to Bushire. It would take probably two to three days
under ordinary circumstances to procure 500 mules.
The amount of transport ordinarily present at or near Bushire may be
estimated at 250 to 300 mules when the Shlf route is closed, but when it
is open there are none.
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