'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎134v] (273/386)

No. 92 (Secret—External), dated Simla, the 29th May 1902.
Prom—The Government o£ India in the Foreign Department,
To—The Right Hon’bt.e Lord Georgb F. Hamilton, His Mijesty’s Secretary of
State for India.
We have the honour to forward, for the information of His Majesty’s
Government, a copy of the correspondence marked; in the accompanying list,,
regarding the possible formation of a British trading settlement at Bassidore in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
2. The circumstances connected with the British occupation of Bassidore
are already known to Your Lordship (see the Viceroy’s telegram, dated
the 18th March 1899). The settlement dates from 1820; but our oocupation
has for many years been indicated only by the presence of a native coal agent,
who, however, has habitually flown the British flag. Me have been unable
to ascertain from our records the exact limits of the tract which was granted
to the British Government by the Sultan of Maskat in 1820; but, as a result
of communication with our 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. , we have
decided provisionally that, whatever may have be^n the limits of the original
grant, our jurisdiction must for the present be confined to the area over
which the Persian authorities have exercised no control. This area is plainly
indicated in the tracing attached to Colonel Kemball’s letter No 38, dated the
23rd February 1902, to which we invite Your Lordship’s attention.
3. In consequence of action which hos recently been taken at Lingah
by the Persian Customs administration, certain British Indian merchants, who
have business connections with the Arab coast, have shown a disposition to form
a trading settlement at Bassidore. Colonel Kemball has not been instructed to
give active encouragement to this enterprise, since we desire, before authorising
officially the re-establishment of a British settlement (though in a British area)
on a Persian island, to ascertain the views of His Majesty’s Government in the
matter. The tract marked by Colonel Kemball as available for British
occupation is of no great extent, and, should there be a prospect of the place
becoming an important commercial entrepot, it might he desirable to extend
our claims so as to coyer the site of the old Portuguese settlement, which we
understand included Nakhistan and Kalat Haji Karim, We should be glad,
therefore, if, in conveying the views of His Majesty’s Government on the general
question, Your Lordship would further favour us with any observations as to
the possibility of establishing a claim to an area larger than that which we have
provisionally reserved.
6
Memorandum by Sir T. Sanderson*
Foreign Oefice ;
14th July 1902.
(Confidential.)
A meeting took place at the Foreign Office on the 10th July to discuss
the various questions which had, recently been raised in letters from the India
Office with regard to the occupation of Kishm and adjacent islands in the
event of Russian encroachment in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the course to be
pursued with regard to the British station at Bassidore on the island of
Kishm.
There were present :—
On behalf of the India Office—
Sir W>. Lee-Warner.
On behalf of the Admiralty—
Rear-Admiral Custance, Director of Naval Intelligence.