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‘Persia – especially Seistan’ [349r] (696/949)
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
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'1
(4) It is understood that the south-west monsoon rarely reaches Chah-
har. It is desirable to ascertain whether it has ever been known
to blow so far west, and also whether when it is blowing strong
to the south-east, the swell occasions any inconvenfence at
Chahbar.
8 th May 1903.
(Sd.) W. J. L. WHARTON,
Uydrographer.
Confidential.
-x-w-C— -
ELM.S. Sphinx, at Charbar,
Sir,
July 1 st, 1903.
. Vu-O* 2’ / 4
In accordance with the instructions contained in your letter of June 8 th,
1903, and in reply to the questions therein concerning Charbar, numbered 1 , 2 ,
3, 4, we have the honour to report as follows.
1. Deep water no where approached the shore at a place suitable for the
construction of basins. We are of the opinion that the part of the beach off
Charbar village, between A and B on the attached plan, would be the best place
for this purpose, if dredging operations were undertaken; this is the only part
of the bay sufficiently sheltered from the monsoon swell. The three-fathom line
is here at a distance of .*,500 yards from the beach Throughout the rest of the
bay, the swell breaks heavily at some distance off shore, and the five-fatl om
line (which appears to be correctly shown on the plan of Charbar Bay Chart
cOa Maskat to Karachi), extends so far off the shore as to preclude anchorage
for any large ship near tiie land when the swell is setting in.
There is no beach fronting the small bay formed between Ras Kuhlab and
the cliffs to the northward of it, which rise sheer and nearly perpendicular from
the sea.
2 . The nature of the bottom throughout the area comprised in the attach
ed plan is sand of various degrees of fineness, with broken shells occasionally.
Between the positions marked A and B on the plan, eight borings to a
depth of eight feet were made at positions of one foot below low water at a
time of low low-water.
Soft sand only was found on each occasion.
The range of tide is about 10 feet, and this depth therefore represents about
nineteen feet below high-water mark at this locality.
Two sectional drawings illustrating the slope of the beach at its southern
and eastern faces are given on the plan of the anchorage.
3. Prom Charbar point to the position marked C on the plan is a sandy
beach, backed by a sandy plain, which extends from the foot of the hills to
the outside sea coast, and is about two miles wide, keeping this width for four
or five miles along the coast to the eastward.
It is about 30 feet high with slight irregularities in the form of sand
hillocks. The extreme end of Charbar point and the whole outside coast line
is fronted with rock.
Prom position C to Tis point the hills come down very steeply to the
beach. Tis point itself being a perpendicular cliff about 150 feet high.
The hills at the back of Charbar rise in a series of steps and plateaux as
shown on the plan. At the spot marked D, the height by aneroid was 310
feet. The top plateau behind D is about 100 feet higher.
All the plateaux slope gradually down to Tis point, but to the eastward
run nearly level.
5
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’ [349r] (696/949), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F111/359/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100093227831.0x000061> [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