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File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎54v] (113/258)

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The record is made up of 1 volume (129 folios). It was created in 1912-1916. It was written in English. 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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6
( 4 ) The hills in the immediate vicinity of the town disclose no suitable stone for
road-making nor anything in the way of kunkur . It would probably be neces
sary to bring metalling by sea from Hormuz island, ten miles distant.
( 5 ) There are a number of date, tamarisk, keekur, bher and other trees in the
town, and tree plantation on a considerable scale would temper the summer heat.
This would also tend to slightly increase the annual rainfall, which is now some ten
inches only.
( 6 ) The beach is good, firm sand and the tide runs out some 150 to 200 yards.
Opposite the centre of the town is a pier 100 yards long by 30 yards wide, which is
high and dry. at low water. Behind the town the plain slopes very gradually
to some low foot-hills one to two miles distant about 100 feet high; beyond these
there is a tangle of broken ground which eventually reaches heights of 500 to 700
feet.
( 7 ) The commercial aspect of Bandar Abbas is dealt with in the latest trade
retuns available, a copy of which is attached to this report. (No. 5033 Annual
Series Diplomatic and Consular Reports. Persia. Report for the year March
1911 to March 1912.)
( 8 ) The water supply of Bandar Abbas is dealt with later; see page 7(e).
(9) The British Consulate is three-quarters of a mile to the north-east of the
town and is an imposing double-storeyed structure built of stone in lime, com
monly reported to be the finest house in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . It has a large enclosure
on the north side, sub-divided into courtyards and quarters which on occasions of
disturbance have harboured as many as 600 refugees. It contains its own post and
telegraph offices and has a large well giving an ample supply of brackish water
practically undrinkable. A defensible mud wall surrounds the whole, with circular
bastions at the corners for flank defence.
The Consulate might well be made the centre of the residential quarter.
( 10 ) Applying the requirements of a commercial port as laid down in paragraph
( 1 ) to Bandar Abbas—
(a) The anchorage is sheltered from all quarters except the south-east. The
prevailing wind however is from the west-south-west, and according to Captain
Bamber of the British India Steam Navigation Company, who has been for the most
part of his 27 years service on the Gulf run, there are only two or three days in the
whole year when the wind from the south-east is so strong as to inconvenience light
ering to any great degree. Captain Biscoe, who has been the British Consul at
andar Abbas for four years, entirely agrees with Captain Bamber’s estimate.
There is no monsoon.
t ^ he approach is easy and well defined, no pilots being required. The islands of
ara ormuz and Kishm offer good sites for beacons. Bottom is good, firm
sane giving a firm holding. There is ample room for ten or twelve ships to lie out
m the roadstead without unduly impeding navigation. Ships drawing 20 feet can
he within two miles of the shore and ships of 25 feet within three miles. This is
«,ccorc mg o present charts, which all mariners describe as being of very doubtful
accuracy The results of the present survey will probably considerably modify
• n ^'^ ie 4°^ ^ foreshore from Naiband on the east to Sum on the west
is \ e mi es. ^ ° V e ^ ormer place and west of the latter shelving and marshy
foreshore makes lightering very difficult. Within these limits T-shaped jetties 250
8 f 11 if 11 ? , Wlt f h wmgs 50 yards to either side would allow lighters to deal
« 100 ° vjnvlf 1 & 8 a T es 0 -^^de. The present jetty, which as mentioned before
merchandise ° n ^ ° n ^ 18 an ^ ^° W a l wa y s piled up with
II . ^ The instruction of a wharf would be most costly and would entail
ensive dree gmg. I am of opinion that a wharf is quite out of the question.
if wn ° n ava ^kle for railway sidings, sheds, labour quarl
town and residential quarter is ample, being at least five miles along the shore a

About this item

Content

The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, notes, and maps relating to the development of railways projects in South Persia and the associated marine surveys of Gulf ports, notably Bandar Abbas and Bushire.

The volume includes the report of Lieutenant Arnold Talbot Wilson on the technical issues concerning development of railway lines between Bushire and Shiraz, and Bandar Abbas and Shiraz. Also included is a report on the commercial possibilities of these two developments, compiled by Commercial Adviser, H G Chick. These reports (folios 101-124) are preceded by an accompanying summary and analysis by 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Percy Zachariah Cox.

Also discussed in the correspondence is the question of concessions for railways in the neutral zone and the relative advantages (climate, water supply) of Bushire and Bandar Abbas as railway termini in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . The correspondence also features discussion of a rumoured German scheme for a Bushire-Shiraz railway.

Further discussion surrounds the arrangements for marine survey work in the region of Henjam and Bandar Abbas to be undertaken by the RIMS Palinurus. A report by the Captain of the Palinurus, Captain B W Mainprise is included along with three marine survey maps (folios 48-50).

The principal correspondents in the volume include: 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Consul General for Fars (Lieutenant Colonel Percy Zachariah Cox); (Lieutenant Colonel Stuart George Knox); First Assistant to 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Captain L Birdwood; Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department; Under Secretary of State, 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. ; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey); Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Louis Mallet); Director, Royal Indian Marine, Walter Lumsden; Officer Comanding, RIMS Palinurus ( Captain B W Mainprise); Secretary to the Government of India, Marine Department.

The volume 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.

Extent and format
1 volume (129 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume. The subject 4648 (Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports) consists of 1 volume, IOR/L/PS/10/316. The explanation of the cover sheet/divider at the front of each volume (regarding the correspondence series numbers which have been put together to form the volumes) will be given in the Scope and Content.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 127; 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 in Latin script
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File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎54v] (113/258), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/316, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045943904.0x000072> [accessed 19 March 2024]

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