Skip to item: of 258
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎55v] (115/258)

This item is part of

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. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

8
of dhows chiefly manned by Negroes, and these w ould respond to any increased
demand. With any great increase of trade, however, a steam tug and lighter com
pany would certainly spring into existence.
(Jc) No fuel is obtained locally. Wood is brought in by road from the hills
to the north, and also from the mangrove swamp near Khamir, 50 miles to the west,
whence it is brought by boat.
( 1 ) No building material is available in the immediate vicinity, and the stone
in the surrounding hills is a particularly soft sandstone that disintegrates at once.
It is quite useless for any sort of construction work. The stone for building the Bri
tish Consulate was brought from Hormuz island, and the old Dutch Fort there
would supply an ample quantity of undressed stone and a small amount of dressed
stone. The British Consulate was built in 1906 , through the agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of the Indian
Public Works Department, and it is probable that much valuable information as to
the resources and labour available in Bandar Abbas could be supplied by that De
partment if required.
PABT II.— The country between Bandar Abbas and Puhal.
; Moving westwards from Bandar Abbas, the section of the coast from Sum via
M ( 2 ). Chiju to Dugird is quite impossible for the
establishment of a port as low tide discloses
an immense expanse of mud flats.
Dugird to Khun Surkh, whilst providing a fair beach at all states of the tide,
has no advantages in this respect over Bandar .Abbas. Ships drawing 20 feet of
*Not known. water must lie out * miles from the
shore, and those of 25 feet * miles.
Inland there is lack of space, as a low ridge runs parallel to the shore at a distance of
half a mile only. Immediately north of this ridge is much broken country.
From Khun Surkh to Bustaneh the foreshore conditions are similar to those
prevailing at Bandar Abbas. _ Inland there is a low-lying plain subject to floods, and
from the total lack of any habitations and of any cultivation, it is probable that water
is either non-existent or is so salt as to be useless.
From Bustaneh to the Rud-i-Kul an immense inland plain, low-lying, constantly
flooded and always damp owing to strong salt deposits, affords no site for a town,
whatever may be its advantages regarding foreshore and anchorage.
West of the Rud-i-Kul is the Puhal site which is dealt with in Part III.
PART III. —Puhal.
Puhal is situated on a tongue of land bounded on the east by the Rud-i-Kul
Map (5). whose waters are extremely salt; on the south
. . an d to the west by the Clarence Straits,
and on the west and north by hills which culminate towards the west in a height
known as Khamir Peak, from the village that lies at the southern slope of the range.
Puhal itself consists of a series of scattered hamlets extending across the plain
from east to west. The total number of houses is probably about 150, but in Sep
tember 1913 these were all deserted, and the few inhabitants that there were,
were living m small reed huts and tending the date plantations. This part of the
country is apparently subject to raids in the cold weather, when the inhabitants for
safety sake betake themselves across the water to Kishm island. This site possesses
possibilities tor a commercial port and these will be taken in detail.
(a) The anchorage is completely sheltered and 20 foot ships can lie within
tNot known i.- ^ .yards of the shore, and 25 foot
. ships within -j- yards. The total width
only, and the tide flows two and « 'll if 11 ? cl l annel l is one and a quarter miles
a bad holding ground. The anDrofllw^^t ? 11 , hour - The bottom g ives
but pilots would be required as the P hann h el f in m nl Bandar Abb&S 18 “ 0 * dlfficult ’
tide increases the difficulties of navigation The 18 nai ™w and the strong
g ion. I he narrow fan-way means that ships

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
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎55v] (115/258), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/316, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045943904.0x000074> [accessed 28 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100045943904.0x000074">File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [&lrm;55v] (115/258)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100045943904.0x000074">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0000d0/IOR_L_PS_10_316_0121.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000419.0x0000d0/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image