‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎163r] (324/949)

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{a) would he the shorter route, and, passing through a country capable of agricultural
development, might be made to pay.
( 6 ) is tnrough a desert country, capable of but small development, and when the Persian
frontier is struck, there are still some 100 miles of desert before the fertile plains of Seistan
are reached. Moreover, an extension to Kerman would necessitate the crossing of the Dasht-
i-Lut.
{c) would open up British Baluchistan. The line could be extended to Bampur and
thence throughout Southern Persia, and could also be connected with the port of Pasni
Mention is also made of the feasibility of a railway from Karachi through Las Bela no
great engineering difficulties to be met with except from Las Bela across^the hills into the
Awaran valley, whence an easy track could be obtained right away to Kasarkand. Branch
lines could be made to connect Pasni, Gwadur, &c.
lb. Autktr. —Messrs. Pollock and Stewart, London, 1902—
Petitioned the Shah when in London for a provisional concession for the construction of
a railway from the vicinity of Baghdad, running eastward via Isfahan and Yezd, towards
Quetta.
17. AuUor. —Major P. M. Sykes, in his “ Ten thousand miles in Persia ”, 1902
“I would give it as my opinion that the proposed scheme of running a railway
along the coast of Southern Persia would end in failure, both because it could not compete
with sea-borne commerce, and also because the engineering difficulties would be very great
“ A study of the Geography of Persia, as I understand it, shows most clearly that its
railways, with perhaps two exceptions, should run in the same direction as the ranges, viz
from north-west to south-east, an>i few parts of the world can show country so suitable for
railway construction as that lying between Tehran and Kerman, while further east the desert
is crossed at its narrowest part”.
18. Author. — H. J. Whigham, in the “Persian Problem”, 1903—
While noting the feasibility of a transverse line from Kermanshah via Sultanabad or
Burujird, Isfahan, Yezd, Kerman, onto Baluchistan, the author does not favour it, apparently
owing to the fact that the Baghdad Kailway concession has fallen into other hands.
“We must begin where we have a base of supplies, and that brings us at ouce either to
the Karun or the Gulf”. Mentioning the general supposition that the Bushire-Shiraz align-
ment is hopeless, about which the author appears to be somewhat sceptical, he continues “ but
for the present we must look elsewhere, and Bunder Abbas and Mohammerah are the only
starting points that suggest themselves. Of these two, the first to be chosen is Moharnmerah
owing to the attractiveness of the Burujird-Tehran route, with branches to Kermanshah ami
Ramadan oi the west side,and to Isfahan and Shiraz on the east . . . This railway whicu
would be followed as soon as possible by a similar line from the coast, at Bunder Abbas to
Kerman and Yezd, and Isfahan or Kashan, would form an advanced base for the ideal line
across Persia, which cannot be built until branches are first pushed up from the coast to carry
material. It would develop trade in Southern and Western Persia at a rapid rate, and, above
all, it would give us a tangible advantage over Russia in the markets of the North ”.
19. Major P. M. Sykes’s letter No. 185, to Officiating 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, 1903—
“The best line for a railway in South-East Persia would be from some point on the coast
near Minau. It would then be carried across Rudbar to the Gishu Pass and Narmashir From
Narmashir, one branch would run north to Seistan, and the other would follow the alignment
of the Central Persian Telegraph line to Bam, Darzin, Neibid, Mahun, and Kerman. In fact
jt would run through an ideal country across Central Persia”. ' ’
20 . Author .—Lieutenant L. E. Hopkins, R.E., 1903—
Reported the Bushire-Shiraz route as being impracticable, but suggested a “quit»
feasible ” line, starting from Bunder Dilam and following the Fahlian ILver, which would
meet with no great engineering difficulties. A continuous easy ascent, the one pass, distant
30 miles from Shiraz, having an altitude of 7,200 feet. Length of line would be about 210
miles The country passed through is well watered and well timbered. Lieutenant Hopkins
. calculated that a metre gauge line might be expected to pay 5 per cent, and estimated to
£3,333 per mile for cost of construction.
Lieutenant Hopkins also believed that a line could be made from Shiraz to Kerman
without serious difficulties.
He also mentioned the Quetta-Kerman ronte, the one difficulty* apparently beino- ffi
his opinion, the Rud-i-Mahi gorge between Shum and Maizar Ab, “ almost one* mhffit’say
impracticable for a railway”. • °
* N. B. But as pointed out by Mr. Dane in his memorandum of 7th February 1904
“there is no necessity to take that route, as the surveys of Gopal Singh and Mr. Moore for a
telegraph line and the report of Mr. I'ebbs, show that a line can, perhaps, be found direct from
Koh-i-Malik Siah via Baluchab, Nasratabad-Ispe, and Gurg to Bam, with only one stretch of
2t5 miles between Shurgez and Gurg without water”.
W. E. Black, —24-3-0-1.