Coll 28/61 ‘Persia. Trade Reports. Bundar Abbas & Lingah, 1925/6–’ [‎104r] (207/245)

I
Report on the Trade and Commerce of the District of Bandar
Abbas for the Persian Official Year 1304 (March 21st,
^ 1925 to March 20th, 1926) by Mr. G. A. Richardson,
O. B. E., His Britannic Majesty’s Consul.
Gen 1
Bandar Abbas is situated at the entrance of the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , at the head of a bay ; across this bay
stretch the three Islands of Hormuz, Larak and
Kishim, forming a natural breakwater to the port.
The town consists of a straggling collection of
houses built of sun-dried bricks and extends for
about miles along the beach. From the town
diverge the various routes leading into the interior
which give Bandar Abbas its real importance, and
upon the security of which its prosperity and trade
depend. A very small proportion of the imports,
barely exceeding five per cent are actually consumed
in the place itself ; the bulk of these is forwarded
inland to Kerman, Yezd, Lar and other distributing
centres. Bandar Abbas may be described as being
merely the gate-way of commerce for South Eastern
Persia.
The population is roughly estimated at 15,000,
no official census ever having been taken.
The better class merchants are of Persian origin
but the working classes more specially the sea-faring
communities are of a mixed strain and as in the case
of the inhabitants on both littorals of the Gulf, the
negroid element predominates.
During the summer months, almost two-third 8
of the population migrate, the merchants to the
neighbouring Ginau Hills and most of the remainder
to Minab to participate in the date harvest.
The official language is Persian but there is a
j growing tendency to learn English.
The inhabitants speak a conglomerate dialect
known as Bandari in which traces of Baluchi, Arabic,
Persian and bwahili can be discerned.
The British Colony consists of 20 Khojas and 50
to 60 Hindus from Shikarpur.
Landing Arrangements.
There is no port in the ordinary acceptation of
the word, but only a very shallow and open road
stead, somewhat protected on account of the Islands.
There are neither lights nor wharves and owing
to the shallowness of the water, Vessels are com
pelled to anchor about a mile and a half or two
miles out.
A buoy in 5 fathoms at low tide and maintained
by the Royal Indian* Marine authorities marks
the best anchorage about 2£ miles from the shore
at the nearest point slightly East of the British
Consulate and nearly 3| miles from the Customs
Pier. Some of the smaller ships, however, anchor
opposite the town as it is more convenient for dis
charging cargo. The various shipping agents main
tain a dozen sailing dhows which are used as lighters
for transporting cargo from ship to shore and vice
versa.
The process of landing goods is very slow and more
so when a dead calm prevails. Moreover^ owing to
lighters only being able to go alongside the short
masonry pier for about four hours a day, further
delay is experienced by ships in discharging their
cargoes and specially when more than one vessel
is operating in the port at the same time.
This delay added to the fact of the Customs Pier
not being lighted at night, affords ample opportunity
for tampering with the cargo in the lighters and
pilferage has been reduced to a fine art in Bandar
Abbas.
The above facts are important factors militating
against trade and commerce at this port where goods
whilst lying on the pier are further subjected to
deterioration through exposure to rain and sun and
adverse climatic conditions generally.
It is extremely remarkable that in view of the
several thousand tons of cargo dealt with annually,
there has been no proper pierf in the port.
The system described in previous reports of hand
ling goods after being landed, and the process of
passing them through the Customs House by the
Hamal Bashi is still in vogue.
No improvement of the conditions under which
merchandise is stored in the Customs was observed
during the year under review. The accommodation
* N jw by the Iraqian Port Directorate at Basra.
t The Customs Pier is now being extended.