‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [‎190v] (379/949)

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steps, as having abolished their Consulate in Ttesht, they have finally abandoned
the Caspian shore, leaving it exclusively to Russian influence.
The sooner the construction of the line is taken in hand, the sooner our
textiles, sugar, naphtha, metals, pottery, etc., will reach Resht \utliout r.m-
shipment the more profitable it will be for our trade, and the sooner vil our
goods occupy an exclusive position in Persia, ousting all foreign rivals.
The immediate commencement of the construction of. the line, is
imperative for the further reasons that at the present time our chief antagonists
in Persia—the English—have their hands tied by events in the Transvaal and
China.
Considerations on the Construction of Ports and Improvement of Communica
tions with Persia on the Caspian.
The constant and just complaints of Russian trade—of the lack of punctual
ity and security in the delivery of goods from Russia to the Persian ports of the
Caspian—are well-grounded, and may be partly removed by the improvement of
the craft sailing in the Caspian, and the construction of ports on the Persian shore #
Final security to trade from all contingencies can only be attained by the
construction of railway communication from Baku to Resht, and further to
Tehran.
Steam and railway vessels maintaining communication with Persia, as
all the craft in the Caspian are of inconsiderable tonnage, and in order to cheapen
freights it is desirable that vessels should be of large tonnage, and for safety at
the same time possessing good sea-going qualities on account of the violent storms
jn that sea, whose roughest water is off the southern shore.
Parallel with the improvement of means of transport it is also necessary to
construct ports.
The port of Enzeli, most frequented by our vessels, is at present entirely
devoid of any proper anchorage or appliances for unloading and storing goods.
The last item is extremely important, as the rainfall is enormous, and it is
absolutely necessary to warehouse the goods in covered premises.
The steamers anchor a few versts from Enzeli, and goods are conveyed in
boats to the port.
Anchoring is only possible in fair weather; when there is a wind blowing
the steamers go and wait behind the island of Saru, to the north of Lenkoran,
or return to Baku It often happens that goods travel several times from Baku
to the roads of Enzeli and hack.
In other ports the anchorage is not better than in Enzeli. The adaptation
of the Enzeli port for safe entry and anchorage of vessels will require great
expenditure. Besides moles and the breakwater, it will be necessary to carry
a road from the quay to Resht, 40 versts long, or to make a channel through
Murdab Bay, and construct about 15 versts of road to Resht. All those
constructions, with appliancs for unloading and warehousing goods, will cost
from 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 roubles, while reckoning the cost of the necessary
improvement of the shipping, the expenditure required to secure trade hy tois
route will amount to 10,000,000 roubles or more.
This considerable expenditure, however, will not relieve the trade from
transhipment or warehousing of goods in Russian ports, and from unloading and
warehousing in Enzeli for redelivery to Resht and further. Besides this, no
construction of ports will diminish the number of stormy days in the Caspian.
Goods coming to Astrakhan, Petrovsk, or Baku will have to be unloaded and
warehoused, again put on board ship and transhipped for the third time in
Enzeli. All these transhipments, besides loss of time and general expenses,
injures the goods.
From the above examination of the question of improving sea communica
tion it is apparent that even with great expenditure the impediments to our
trade cannot be completely removed. In general a sea route can compete with
a railway only on condition that the distances are great and the vessels of large
tonnage.