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File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎74r] (152/258)

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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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i o
p.oNFlDENTIAC. Put away with. 7 ^!
No. ig 8 , dated Bushire, the 19 th (received 29 th) January 1913.
From—L ieutenant-Colonel Sir Percy Cox, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., Political Resi
dent in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department, Delhi.
I have the honour to address you in connection with the question of railway
terminal facilities at ports on the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , which, as I observe from recent
correspondence in print, has been engaging the attention of His Majesty’s
Government.
2. In the penultimate paragraph of a report on railway possibilities in the
sphere of this Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , my Commercial Adviser, Mr. Chick, urged “ a careful
Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. letter. No. 1840, dated 18th August investigation of the best means of suitably
iqi 2. improving Bushire harbour, and the
probable cost: and a similar investigation at Bandar Abbas. ”
It is now apparent that the Socidtd d’Etudes has already begun to contem
plate the desirability of improvements in the ports included in its scheme for
branch lines to the Trans-Persian Railway, it being understood that the ports
chiefly affected would be Bushire and Bandar Abbas.
His Majesty’s Government have recently considered it expedient to depute
Engineer officers of their own to advise them as to the relative merits of various
routes in South-East Persia; and it is, I submit, no less necessary and important
that they should know, in advance of all applications for concessions whether
by the Trans-Persian Railway or by the Persian Railways Syndicate, the
possibility and approximate -cost of improving the harbours or anchorages at
Bushire and Bandar Abbas in order to enable them to cope sufficiently with
railway requirements.
3. As regards Bushire, the position is this •.—
The harbour was elaborately and carefully surveyed in igop. It was held
that there was sufficient water in the channel connecting the outer and inner
anchorages to accommodate the ships of 17 feet draft ordinarily plying to the
Gulf but that in view of the existing state of prospects of trade through Bushire
the deepening of the approaches to the inner anchorage (Khor Deira) would be
Admiral, ,o Foreign Department, telegram dated tOO COStly an operation tO Undertake _ It
17th October 1904* was considered, however, that the dredging
of a canal from the inner anchorage (Khor Deira) to the Customs Creek (Khor
Sultani) was feasible and should be our aim for the present.
The Officer in charge of the Marine Survey reported in June 1905 that there
Director, Ro ? al Indian Marino, to Marin. WOuld be little difficulty in dredging the
Department, letter No. 3542. dated 5th June 1905. proposed canal, but ttiat It UOUIO DC
advisable to make borings before commencing operations in order to discern
the exact nature of the material to be dredged; he added that our experience of
the behaviour of the harbour-floor in the past suggested the proba 1 ity ia a
dredged channel could de easily maintained.
4. The preliminary action required in the case of Bushire would therefore
appear to be the carrying out of the necessary boring and then the framing of an
estimate for the dredginf of the canal. 1 am o opinion that if the boring was
done unobtrusively by or off the RI.M.S. ‘Lawrence, or Pahnu us
which is a frequent visitor, no question would be likely to be raised by the 1 oca
authorities and no preliminary reference to the Persian Government would be
needed.
5. Turning to Bandar Abbas. The position there seems to be that there is
not much to be done with the anchorage off by a the le f d
• His Excellency The Naval Commander-in* , ;i_ c ni1 j-
Chief, to Foreign Department, No. 1462-X., dated fully 3 ^
83rd January 1906.
But, as I have suggested in a recent telegram to Government, in the event
> 1 ss r L n2 a railway terminus or
No. 10 dated 3rd, January 1913, to Foreign there Dfing a n J f
Department. important junction in the vicinity or
Bandar Abbas, it would probably be expedient to create a new and more
jL*

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.

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English in Latin script
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File 4648/1912 'Railway projects in South Persia; surveys of Gulf ports' [‎74r] (152/258), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/316, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045943904.0x000099> [accessed 19 March 2024]

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