Coll 30/200 ‘Persian Gulf. Tour of Political Resident from Bahrein to Muscat in L. T. Nearchus.’ [‎9r] (18/133)

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Before leaving Bandar Abbas I raet the British subjects and
also two members of the Gellahdari family but had ncytirae for anything
nore than a few words. Messrs. Gray Kackenzie, the British India Agents,
have complained for many months past of the lack of landing facilities
and constant delays to steamers and the merchants of the town sent a
representation to Tehran on the subject last year. hr. Rogers has
investigated the matter but does not think that for the present traffic
^the•arrangements are entirely unsuitable and will take up the matter
the port shows signs of being used to greater capacity. The lack of
~shipping has largely killed the trade of the place and what remains
has been ruined by the shortage of motor transport to the interior.
9. It will be recalled that Mr. Rogers v/as taken over by the Navy
to Khor Rakkan on the Batinah Coast to interrogate a survivor from the
submarine destroyed near there by the B.A.F. An account of this has
been sent to the senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , separately. It is
interesting; to note that the Shaikh of Khor Fakkan, Shaikh Abdullah al
Hamadi, is a recent emigre from the hinterland of Lingah, a territory
which is almost entirely inhabitsXed by perrons of Arab origin. Curiously
enough Khor Fakkan is in an enclave of Jawaaimi territory and affiliated
to Sharjah and so under the Bahrain Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. and not, as might have been
anticipated, under Muscat.
10. We then proceeded to Muscat, and an account of this portion
of the tour has been recorded separately. Vie arrived at Chahbar on the
1st of December and went ashore shortly after sunrise. I was greatly
struck with the derelict state of this town, which I had last seen as a
flourishing port in the year 1916, and was more than ever surprised that
it should have been considered as an appropriate site lor a Vice-Consulate
I first of all visited the aerodrome, which has now been deserted for a
landing strip further away and parallel to the seashore- It was on this
landing strip, then entirely unmarked, that the Russian pilot had put
down Mr. Rogers on his recent visit from Jiwani. The Russian planes are
able to land on the smallest possible space, but have a short radius, and
carry reserve petrol tins strapped about the machine. A Russian plane
was expected that morning and came in after we had returned to the ship
and its extremely low landing speed was clearly noticeable even from a
distance.
11. The Persian bureaucracy appears at its worst in these outlying
areas, and since no departments can ever agree amongst themselves, every
thing has to be referred to Tehran who know nothing about the local
conditions. In an area which would barely support one well paid officer,
each department must have its separate representative and, for example,
the Police and Gendarmerie are everywhere represented by separate offici
als whose interests both pecuniary and otherwise very frequently clash.
I observed that although the vast majority of the inhabitants were in
rags, some of the women being scarcely covered, yet there was cloth in
the raonox>oly shop but, apparently, as at Bushire, only for show, for as
the manager said "there was no order for its sale". Officials who are
posted to these areas are sometines lost sight of for years and the local
medical officer is an instance in point. »e passed this officer’s house
and dispensary on our way back from the aerodrome and found an aged
Armenian obviously more than a little cracked, find looking for all the
world like a medaeval alchemist, living in the filthiest conditions and
with a fly-blown dispensary which contained only a few empty bottles. As
this part of the world is threatened with a cholera epidemic the opinion
of the local officials regarding his inadequacy was loudly expressed.
They clato) that he refuses to supply them with any essential drugs and he
in his turn stated that they only wished to secure a free supply from him
in order to resell it themselves. The local inhabitants do not of course
receive any treatment whatever.
12. The coast line of the Bandar Abbas Consulate area covers about
550 miles or roughly the area from Ushant to the German border, and
extends as far as but not including Jiwani. Mr. Rogers has been at con
siderable pains to link up his coast watching organisations with those in
Gwadar andBritish Baluchistan, and has covered some 10,000 miles since
lust March. The main difficulties here, as on the Batinah, consist of
slow coiomuni cat ions, and unless and until an adequate launch is provided
t^e work cannot be fully effective. This has been 'taken up separately. \
I n the meantime it is hoped that by establishing close relations with the
local sardars and headmen timely information will oe received of
enemy agents attempt to secure a footing on shore.
13. The following morning we arrived at Jask and were met by
Captain.