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‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [348r] (694/949)
The record is made up of 1 file (475 folios). It was created in 7 Nov 1901-23 Aug 1905. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
3
IS
winch rises HI the mountains at some distance and expends itself in the desert.
KhorDorab being one of the places where it does so. The main stream of til
derail! is about two miles from Beziza. We did not visit it. It would thus be
easy to bn„g a good water-supply from the Jerahi river down to any spot in the
Khor Musa, the land being everywhere flat and easily worked. ^
• l 62 ! 3 iS T l he n i ea i d ° f dh °. W navi S at!on . an( l is » small village otherwise un
important. The tidal range is about six feet at this place
. T ! ier f 13 0 f Dorak which is the name given to the whole of this
district, the chief town of which is Fellahiga, situated on the Jerahi, but the
precise position of which wo could not ascertain.
. 10 .' Ha I ln S ‘Joscended Khor Musa to anchorage ( 1 ), the Sphinx next
anchorage > ( 31 1<>r 1,11 ' lader ’ tlie obannel leading to the north-west, as far as
This Khor is navigable to this position for any draught ships, but would be
too narrow for turning long ships in. r De
fn tn A w a wT-ft (3) and , nearl y aU , tlie way up this Khor the bank is Steep
to, to H. W. mark, on each side, and near the head as shown on the plan the
water is nearly Iresh, owing to various small streams that run into it but the
eountry around is quite uninhabited. This Khor is probably in connection
with what is known as the “ Blind Karum.”
Were a basin cut and dredged at anchorage (3), the harbour thus formed
would possess all the advantages required by this report. As the banks here are
higher and dryer, wharfage could easily be made on either bank for any number
or ships. Ihe channel here is about 400 yards wide between drying* edo-es
and there is four fathoms within 20 yards of them, deepening rapidlv to 5 i in
the middle. J 2
12 . All three of these anchorages in the Khor Musa and Bukhader nos-
sess the following advantages :— 1
Complete protection from all winds.
Easily defended from attack by sea, either by bombardment or torpedo
attack. L
Excellent possibility of connection by rail with the interior.
Unlimited fresh water-supply within easy distance.
Ear better climate than in more southern parts of the Gulf.
Proximity to Euphrates and Karum river valleys.
13. The disadvantages may be summarised as follows
The three-fathom bar at the entrance of Khor Musa would require
dredging to allow passage for ships at any state of tide.
Anchorages ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) somewhat restricted in area, but of the two we
consider anchorage (i) the better. At anchorage ( 1 ) dry land
is about f mile from deep water and at anchorage ( 2 ) about i a
mile.
At anchorage (3) considerable dredging and cutting operations would
be necessary to make a basin sufficiently large for turning ships
in. ° L
At all these places there is a tidal stream of not less than two knots at
springs.
14. We consider that the following places in order down the coast from
Khor Musa, namely—-
Anchorage off Batuna,
Naband Bay,
Bay at Nakilu,
Bay at Duan,
About this item
- Content
This part contains papers mostly relating to British interests in Persia [Iran] and the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
It includes a copy of the Board of Trade Commercial Intelligence Committee ‘Report received from Mr. H. W. Maclean, the Special Commissioner appointed by the Commercial Intelligence Committee of the Board of Trade, on the conditions and prospects of British trade in Persia.’
A handwritten note at the front of the file, on folio 5, states ‘Spare copy of notes & correspondence of the “Helmand Control” file (with maps)’. Folio 110 consists of handwritten notes, including one dated 27 April 1904, which states ‘The secret Helmand papers have been printed up, and a set, with necessary maps, is submitted for H.E. the Viceroy to take to England.’ Much of the file concerns the question of controlling the water of the Helmand river and irrigating its whole delta, and the work of the Seistan Arbitration Commission to arbitrate between Persia and Afghanistan on the question of rights to the water of the Helmand in Seistan.
The file also includes reports by W A Johns on reconnaissances of potential railway routes made while he was attached to the Seistan Arbitration Commission, and other papers relating to railways and roads in Persia.
In addition, the file includes copies of the following Government of India Foreign Department Proceedings, which reproduce received Foreign Department correspondence on the following subjects: ‘Selection of a British naval base in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .’, November 1901, Nos. 74-83; ‘Visit of His Excellency the Viceroy to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. during November-December 1903.’, February 1904, Nos. 33-127; ‘Establishment of telegraphic communication with Henjam. Question of the selection of a naval base in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Aggressive action of the Persians at Tamb and Abu Musa; their claim to the Islands.’, June 1904, Nos. 300-388; ‘Reports of the Commercial Mission to Persia.’, June 1905, Nos. 45-111; ‘Question of retaining flagstaffs erected in the neighbourhood of the Musandim Promontory’, August 1905, Nos. 288-307.’
The file also includes: brief handwritten notes written by Curzon on headed paper belonging to the Viceregal Lodge, Simla, relating to Seistan and to Lord Kitchener’s planned reforms for the reorganisation and redistribution of the Indian Army; and a printed copy of the report ‘A Note by Major H.L. [Herbert Lionel] Showers, C.I.E., on the present state of affairs in Kelat and a review of the system of Administration now being pursued.’
The file includes four maps: ‘Map of the Tail waters of Helmand River’ (13 July 1903), f 122; ‘Plan Shewing Proposed Routes for a Railway from Nushki to Afghan Frontier near Robat’ (10 April 1903), f 139; ‘Extract from Admiralty Chart No. 753. (Entrance to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ).’ (October 1901), f 219; and ‘Sketch of route Ram Hormuz to Fellahieh.’ (April 1904), f 230.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (475 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in no apparent order, apart from the Government of India Foreign Department Proceedings, folios 231 to 474, which are arranged in chronological order.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [348r] (694/949), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/359/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100093227831.0x00005f> [accessed 21 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- Mss Eur F111/359/1
- Title
- ‘Persia – especially Seistan’
- Pages
- front, 2r:194v, 195v:196r, 197v:199v, 200v, 201v, 203r:272r, 273v:275v, 277r:405v, 408r:408v, 409v, 411r:413v, 414v:419v, 420v:424v, 425v:432v, 433v:435v, 436v, 437v:443v, 444v:471v, 473r:475v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence