'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia: About 1889-1890' [‎684v] (1389/1486)

566
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARIS.
[May 10 , 1880 .
steam navigation. The next step should un
doubtedly be the enforcement by the Persian
Government of a certain amount of law and
order among the nomadic tribes who inhabit
the mountainous country immediately north
and east of Shushter and Dizful, and lying, as
I have already remarked, between those
towns and the central plateau of Persia.
Across this mountainous belt two roads lead
direct from Shushter to Ispahan through the
country of the Bakhtiyari, while another, a
much more practicable one, leads z'/d Dizful ;
through the country of the Feili Lurs to Khor-
remabad and Burujird. This latter is much
the most important, not only because it is the
most practicable route between the upper and
the lower plains, but also because it is the
direct road to Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Hama*
dan, Melayer, Sultanabad, Koom, and Tehe
ran. North of Khorremabad the roads are safe
enough, but steps must be taken by the Persian
Government for the security of the 150 miles of
road between that place and Dizful if it is ever
to become a regular trade route.
The third step to be taken by the Persian
authorities should, I think, be the re-establish
ment of the telegraph, and of the chapar, or
horse-post, which at one time existed along
this road. Of course, in the Khorremabad-
Dizful section this step could only be taken to
any good purpose,yterz'yto.svsv/, with step No. 2 .
From Khorremabad northwards, the telegraph
is, I believe, still in operation, via Hamadan,
but I am not aware whether it is in working
order between Dizful, Shushter, and Moham-
merah. If not, it should certainly be restored.
The chapar, or horse-post, an admirable
means of rapid locomotion, established for
many centuries along all the main roads
radiating from the capital to the frontiers,
should be re-established along those parts of
the Shushter-Dizful-Burujird road in which it
has fallen into disuse.
Fourthly, the present mule track between
Shushter and Burujird should be made, if not
into a carriageable, at least into a good pack
road, fit for the passage of takhteravans, or
mule litters. This could be easily done at
very little expense.
Fifthly and lastly, a short canal should be
made round the rapids at Ahwaz, and the
Kanin be thereby opened to uninterrupted
steam navigation the whole way to Shushter
by the Ab-i-Gargar, and possibly to Dizful
also, by the Diz. It is clear from Major Wells’
report that such a canal could be made with
out difficulty at no great cost. The length
need be little over 2,000 yards, and the aver
age depth of cutting through loose soil and
sandstone only about 20 feet. A single lock
would suffice.
While the above measures ought undoubtedly
to be immediately undertaken in its own in
terest by the Persian Government, I think it
would be a great mistake, from the English or
European point of view, for us to sit still and
do nothing until they were fully accomplished.
The opening of the lower Kanin to foreign
steam navigation is not only a patriotic
measure on the part of the Shah, with the
object of developing the resources and adding
to the wealth of his country, but it is at the same
an earnest of his Majesty’s desire to meet the
wishes of such friendly countries as have com
mercial interests in Persia. Instead, there
fore, of simply waiting for further facilities
being provided, it is, I think, incumbent on
us, whose only free access to the markets of
Persia is by way of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , to do
what we can towards utilising the facilities
already offered. By this means we shall best
encourage the Persian Government to take the
further steps which I have already indicated.
I am glad to hear that the steamers of the
Tigris Navigation Company have already
begun to navigate the Kanin between Moham-
merah and Ahwaz. They should, I think, be
supplemented by a service of native boats or
steam launches, between Ahwaz and Shushter.
The service, both of boats and steamers, should
be regular in connection with the weekly mail
steamers, between Bussorah and Bombay,
which pass up and down the Shat-el-Arab,
close to Mohammerah. A postal service and
regular means of communication along the
i Kanin would thus be established, for which a
substantial subvention might very properly be
granted by the Imperial or Indian Government.
Such a service is indispensable to the organ
isation of a new trade route, and its establish
ment should not be deferred until other sup
plementary measures have been taken by the
Persian Government.
Much will of course depend on the judgment
1 of the merchants who first take the Kariin
route in hand, and on the tact of their agents
at Shushter, Dizful, Burujird, and Ispahan,
from which points they will be able to enter
into friendly relations with the chiefs of the
Eeliaut tribes, whose goodwill and co-operation
it will be of the utmost importance to secure.
This is in fact the crucial point of the
whole question. Unless the Eeliauts are
either coerced or conciliated into good be-