Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎137v] (274/678)

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of i mounted Zaptiehs under an officer sent to fetch me, and next morning I started
at day-break, and covering the 40 miles of loose sand which separates the cul
tivated district from the coast, reached an outlying village of Hasa in the evening.
Hofhuf was reached early the next day, and there I was provided with a. room
in the Government “ Mihmankhana,” where, though treated with great hospitality,
I was always surrounded by the official element and communication with the
Arab merchants was rendered extremely difficulty Leaving Hofhuf again on
the 20th I reached Ajer on the 21st and embarking next day arrived at Bahren
on the 23rd. Here 1 found Mr. Gaskin, our Vice-Consul at Bushahr, and H.
M.’s Gun-boat Lapiving, arranging the terms under which the boats captured
during the late disturbances should be redeemed. From Bahren •! took the
next mail back to Basra, reached on the 26th, and after spending 24 hours
in quarantine, was fortunate enough to catch Messrs. Lynch’s river steamer
to Baghdad next day. Owing to the flooded state of the river Baghdad was
not reached till the 2nd April, and I was most hospitably entertained there by
Colonel Mockler, 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. and Consul-General. The desert round
the city was at that time under water for some miles from the walls on every
side, and ten days elapsed before 1 was able to collect transport and make a
start on my onward journey. Finally, on the 13th April, I left Baghdad to pro
ceed by the Euphrates Valley route to Aleppo, myself and transport, the latter
consisting of two riding and three baggage horses, all having to be conveyed for
to miles across the desert in boats. Including two days’ halt the journey from
Baghdad to Aleppo occupied 23 days, a very good performance for horses, which,
with the exception of feeds of corn at each of the towns of Hit and Dir, sub
sisted during the journey entirely on the green grass vffiich grows abundantly
along the route during the spring. No difficulties were encountered until within
a hundred miles of Aleppo, when I had a somewhat unpleasant encounter with
a small detached party of Turkish soldiers. These men formed part of the
reserves which have lately been called out and, fresh from massacring Ar
menians in the neighbourhood, were anxious to treat my servant and myself
in the same manner as they had treated other Christians. After being some
what roughly handled and spending an extremely uncomfortable half hour during
which it was merely a toss-up whether they shot me or cut my throat, the
latter course appearing the most probable one, I finally escaped with the loss
of the small sum of money I had with me and a good deal of dignity. Next
day I was fortunately able to join the caravan of a Turkish Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , who was
travelling in the same direction, and reached Aleppo on the 5th May. After
spending three days at Aleppo I went on to Alexandretta, the journey, which
occupies two days, being accomplished in \ carriage. Finally, on the nth
May, 1 embarked on one of the Egyptian Khedivial Company’s steamers for
Alexandria, and touching at the ports of Mersina, Tripoli, Beyrout and Jaffa
on the Syrian Coast, arrived at Alexandria on the 16th. At Alexandria I was
delayed for four days owing to the cholera scare, all boats from Egyptian ports
being full, and passages engaged for weeks in advance. 1 was, however, fortunate
enough to secure a berth returned at the last moment and left on the 20th
in a small Austrian Lloyd boat for Brindisi, crowded with passengers of every
age and both sexes, mostly Jews of various nationalities. Brindisi was reached
on the 23rd and London on the morning of the 26th May, 3-! months from the
time I left India. During the wffiole of my trip I received every assistance and
experienced the utmost hospitality from the Political and Consular Officers of
the various places visited, and it is in a great measure due to their help that I
was enabled to collect the notes which the following pages contain.
J. A. DOUGLAS, Staff Captain,
Intelligence Branch,
Q, M. G’s. Dept. in India.