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Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎219r] (437/678)

The record is made up of 1 file (337 folios). It was created in 4 Aug 1895-21 Nov 1903. It was written in English and French. 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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? ( 55 )
3
Each Mandoi was moored. It bad brought jawari and was taking away mat
ting and fish. Another product of the place was fine lime made from burnt
shells and used for whitewashing buildings and painting Bungalows.
Xhulmat itself possesses no Buggalows of its own, only some Tonis or
dugouts. There is no direct road from Khulmat to Kej, only round via Pasni.
A road to Kolwa lies up the Basel River, Kolwa being five marches distant, the
same as Kej. Drinking water is procured from wells under some palm trees
in the distance. It was said to be sweet. The climate of Khulmat was said
to be cooler than that of either Gvvadur or Ormara. There was no apparent
sign of any importation of arms at the place or of any demand for arms. There
were a good many pelicans, flamingoes and grebes in the harbour but no
duck were seen. The distance from Khulmat to Pasni by sea is 19 miles.
Left Khulmat at 9-55 and reached the ship again at 11-10 a.m*. Sailed at once
and reached Astola Island, 19 miles out, at 1-15 p.m. Landed on a sand bank
at the north-east side of the island and found it covered with shells and
decaying carcases of huge turtles, climbed up the cliffs here some 200 feet in
height and found the summit perfectly level. It is said to be the breeding
place of numbers of Terns in May. We saw the dead bodies of some young
lairds. The cliffs are mostly precipitous and can only be ascended at one or two
places. The island is about half a mile broad and say 2 miles in length.
Large brown eels were common in the pools amongst the rocks on the shore.
Left Astola at 3-45 and reached Pasni at 6-30 p.m.
Friday, the 6th December 1901 .—Left Pasni at 8 p.m. last night after
landing a telegraph clerk and arrived at Gwadur, Bast Bay, at 6 a.m. Dis
tance from Pasni 67 miles: distance from Karachi 251 miles. The horses and
baggage were disembarked in three hours ; no conveniences exist for landing.
The horses were slung from the ship into a country boat, and when that boat
touched land the horses were thrown out, as best they could, into the water
and waded ashore. In the case of baggage the heavy things were put into
Tonis or canoes and so brought close in, lighter things were carried by men
from the boats to the shore. No attempt has been made to erect a landing stage
of any sort. The ship had to lie a mile out and could not get in closer. I
went ashore in the steam launch accompanied by Kazi Fakir Ahmad, Native
Assistant, Kalat, who had been sent ahead by the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. to make the
necessary arrangements for camels, and by Mir Mehrab Khan, Gitchki, who
had been sent down by the Nazim of Makran to meet me.
As I landed a salute of 13 guns was fired from the solitary gun possessed
by the Wali, who had received orders by cable from His Highness the Sultan
of Muscat to receive me in person and fire a salute.
An arch of welcome and strings of flags had been erected on the beach.
Here I was met by His Highness the Sultan of Muscat’s Governor, locally
known as the Wali of Gwadur, by name Saif-bin-Yuraf, and the Sultan’s Wazir Minister. ,
Shaikh Suliman, with his Arab sepoys Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. and a crowd of Baluchis.
The Indian Khojahs and Sind Banias were also present, headed by Munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf.
Abdul Karim, tbe Native Assistant to the Director, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Telegraphs,
also Mir Ashraf, Rind, and several other Rind Motabars who had come down
from Kej with Mir Mehrab Khan. I gave the Wali leave at the telegraph
office and after inspecting that I took up my quarters in the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. bunga
low which had been cleaned and furnished on purpose. The last occupant of
the bungalow is said to have been Saiyid Timur, the son of the Sultan of
Muscat, and he had left it in so dirty a state that it had all to be whitewashed
afresh.
The Arab population of Gwadur consists of only the Wali himself, and
his garrison of 50 Arab sepovs. The present Wali speaks nothing but Arabic.
H is pay is 70 dollars or Rs. 105 per mensem. Baluchi is the language of the
place and the Baluchis number about 5,000 people. The foreign residents
consist of 250 Khojahs and 200 Hindus including men, women and children.
The Agent of the British India Steam Navigation Company is a Khojah,
by name Muhammad BhaiRahmoo Maoji, and he is also the customs ontractor
of the place. The customs contract for Gwadur and Pishukan, on the opposite
shore of the Gwadur, Western Bay, which is the only source of revenue of the

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Content

The file contains papers relating to Persia [Iran] and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , including a document entitled ‘Notes on current topics prepared for reference during his Excellency the Viceroy’s tour in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , November 1903.’ It also includes printed extracts of letters relating to the tour from Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Arnold Kemball, 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 Major Percy Zachariah Cox, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Maskat [Muscat], dated August to October 1903.

In addition, the file includes the following papers:

  • Handwritten notes by George Nathaniel Curzon, Viceroy of India, including notes on Muscat, Koweit [Kuwait], and the Mekran [Makran] Coast
  • Memoranda concerning Koweit
  • A copy of a letter from Colonel Charles Edward Yate, Agent to the Governor-General and Chief Commissioner in Baluchistan, to the Secretary to the Government of India Foreign Department, forwarding the camp diary kept during his tour in Makran and Las Bela, from 1 December 1901 to 25 January 1902
  • A copy of a 'Report on a Journey from India to the Mediterranean via the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Baghdad and the Euphrates Valley, including a Visit to the Turkish Dependency of El Hasa' by Captain J A Douglas, Staff Captain, Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department in India, 1897 (which includes three sketch maps: Mss Eur F111/358, f 138; Mss Eur F111/358, f 158; and Mss Eur F111/358, f 141).

Folios 232 to 338 largely consist of printed copies of correspondence between Sir (Henry) Mortimer Durand, HM Minister at Teheran [Tehran], and the Marquess of Salisbury (Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil), Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, dated 1895-1896, relating to Persia.

The file includes a copy of a Collective Letter addressed by the Turkish, British and French Consuls to the Valiahd regarding the Tabriz Riots, 5 August 1895, which is in French (folios 332).

Extent and format
1 file (337 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in roughly chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 339; 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.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎219r] (437/678), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/358, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100069731506.0x000026> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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