File 3516/1914 Pt 5 'German War: Persia; situation in Arabistan 1915' [‎14r] (32/404)

Colony was taking so long to get off, they were incurring
great danger, the people were getting impatient and beyond
control, and he feared that he would, not be able to keep his
promise regarding the women and children if we delayed much
longer. He suggested that the women and children should be
started off at once, We sent back a reply that we were
quite prepared to start as soon as transport was provided,
we had intended and hoped to start on Thursday morning, but
that the Governor-General had not, as yet, produced a single
animal for transport. Also we had no intention of sending
the women and children first. When they went, we should
accompany them.
Mr. Brandly at once took this reply to Zugmayer.
The general idea was that Zugmayer wished to separate us
from women folk so that an attempt might be made to take the
men prisoners, following the example of Shiraz.
"Thursday afternoon and evening camels, mules and donkeys
hired through the Governor General were coming into the
Consulates. Contracts were made at the rate of Krans 90 per
donkey, Krans 120 per camel and Krans 180 per mule for the
journey to Bunder Abbas via Jiruft.
Messrs. Cane and Chase took up the duties of transport
officers, had the luggage sorted out, and the camel caravan
with an escort of Bakhtiaris started at sunset.
Next morning, Friday December 17th the British Colony
started from the British Consulate, the Russian Consul with
his Cossacks joining us and accompanying us. Every man
openly carried a rifle and supply of ammunition, there were
39 rifles in all, not including the Bakhtiari guard.
At Sarvestan we found Mr.C.W.E.Edwards from Bam with his
wife and three children awaiting us. They had been practically
expelled from Bam, a committee taking over charge of the
Telegraph Office. They went on with us to Bunder Abbas.
Nothing of interest occurred on the way except an alarm
at midnight on December 25th when the Bakhtiari guards fired
several shots and some of them ran through the camp calling
everyone to arms. All the men turned.out except the Armenians,
who said they got ready and remained in their tents until they
were called.
It appears that some six or seven men had been seen by one
of the outposts, and that when they did not answer the challenge-*
the guard fired on them, whereupon they fled.
Our party consisted of:-
Race
Men
Women
Children
ToiaT. "
English
10
7
6
23
Russian
10
-
-
10
Greek
1
-
-
1
Armenians *
8
5
7
20
Indian Sowars
R
-
-
5
Persian ( Nawab An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. )
1
—
1
TOTAL
12
13
60
* 2 men, 2 women, 4 children British subjects, 1 Turkish
subject, remainder Persian subjects.
Including the Bakhtiari and Afshar guards mounts there
were 92 camels, 26 mules, 132 donkeys, and about 100 horses,
total