'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.' [‎188r] (380/386)

117
which the climate-of Bunder Ahbas is unsuitable for Europeans, at Kerman.
Sir Mortimer Durand is taking steps to obtain the recognition of Lieutenant
Hunt as Vice-Consul.
2. Lieutenant Hunt’s appointment has for the present been sanctioned for
six months only, and he will receive the pay or salary of his grade in the Poli
tical Department with a deputation allowance of Rs. 2U0 a month. The
sanctioned scale of our Political Department has not been exceeded, and with
the exception of the deputation allowance, and the cost of establishment, contin
gencies, transport, &c, details of which have not yet been decided, no extra
expenditure will be involved.
3. We shall make proposals for permanent arrangements at Bunder Abbas
and in Kerman as soon as we are in a position to do so. Meanwhile, we trust
that the proceedings now reported will receive the approval of Her Majesty’s
Government, who will, we presume, be willing to contribute towards the cost
of Lieutenant Hunt’s deputation, if Major Sykes is withdrawn from Kerman.
84
No. 24 (Secret—External), dated F<wfc William, the 4th February 1904.
From—The Government of India in the Foreign Department,
To—The Right Hon’ble St. J ohn Brqduiok, His Majesty’s Secretary of State for
India.
We have the honour to invite a reference to Lord George Hamilton’s
despatch No. 118 (Political), dated the 13th December 1901, intimating that
a change in the Consular district of the Vice'Consul at Bunder Abbas would
he postponed until more permanent arrangements were made for filling that
* Fide our Secret —External despatch No. 144, post. In August 1902, W6 explained* tO
dated the 7 th August 1902 . your predecessor that we had under con
sideration a scheme for filling this and other similar appointments from outside
our Political Department. The plan which was contemplated has now, how
ever, been abandoned, and we intend shortly to lay before you proposals for
creating an additional appointment in the regular cadre to provide for the post
at Bunder Ahbas. In the meantime, it is impossible again to- leave this port
without a Consular representative, and we consider that the question of extend
ing the scope of his usefulness need no longer be postponed.
2. We enclose a copy of a letter from 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. , in which he sets forth his
NO. 218 , dated the 6th November 1C03. views on the Subject. We agree with
Colonel Kemball that it is advisable that the status of our officer at Bunder
Abbas should he raised to that of a Consul, and that, as such, his jurisdiction
should be extended to the Shamilat, Lingah, and the Shib Koh Ports, Minab
and the coast of Persia eastwards as far as Gwetter, and all the islands belonging
to Persia in the eastern part of the Gulf; that, as Assistant Political
Resident, his charge should include Has Musandim and the important inlets
which this promontory contains, the portion of the Batineh coast which
helon° , s to the Joasmis, and the islands of Abu Musa and Tanb which are
dependencies of the same family; and that our station at Bassidore should be
placed formally under his supervision. We trust that one of the three gun
boats that, as was intimated in Lord George Hamilton’s despatch No. 91
(Military), dated the 3rd July 1903, will be stationed permanently m the Gulf,
will ordinarily cruise within the jurisdiction above indicated, which includes the
points, such as Minab, though which it is believed that of th 0 arms for
Eastern Persia and the Indian frontier are imported. Hie Consul would be
able to avail himself of these means to visit the outlying portions of his charge.
3 We request that, if you concur in these proposals, you will inform us of
vour approval, and will procure from the Persian Government the recognition
which the change in the Vice-Consul’s status and jurisdiction will require.