File 2976/1916 Pt 2 'Persia Bunder-Abbas-Kerman telegraph & road Bushire-Shiraz road' [‎37r] (69/294)

(d) Outlets.
The principal outlets are through the Caspian
port, Snzeli, in the north, through Khorassan and the Trans
caspian railway in the north-east, by the railway from
Dusdap to India in the east, throu^i the Oulf ports of
Bandar-Abbas, Bushire and Mohammerah in the south, by
the Kermanash-Khanikin route in the west, and through
Azerbaijan and the Julfa-Erivan railway in the north-west*
Owing to the rapidity with which goods can be brought down
by rail from Russia, and to the fact that the northern pro
vinces 'which the Russian railways serve are the most popu
lous and prosperous part of Persia, the two northern land--’
routes, namely those through Azerbaijan and through Khorassan,
have attained an overwhelming predominance. The flow through
these two openings was, during the period immediately before
the war, greater than the combined traffic of all the other
gateways of Persia*
The bulk of British and Indian trade passes through
the &ulf ports, and has to work its way across the difficult
and lawless regions of southern Persia, in order to reach
the northern markets. Of the three principal ports, Bandar-
Abbas has the best harbour, but the open roadstead of Bushire
attracts more freight as transit to the northern towns is
shorter from it. Mohammerah, though well situated as regards
land-transit, is handicapped by a troublesome bar at the mouth
of the river. India also carries on a considerable trade with
the fertile province of Seistan and northwards, by means of
the Quetta-Dusdap railway.
(e) Transport and gommunic a tions T
(see maps 1 & 2)
Transport