'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎574v] (1150/1386)

14
PERSIA.
combined transport service, river and road, from Mohamrah to
Tehran.
Through 1,1119 And the finishing touch towards success may be given b
oi lading. . t ii«i! pit r p • j a i i
sanction to through bills of lading from foreign countries to Ahwal
and Shuster.
I was two days at Mohamrah, during which I paid a visit to,
and received a visit from, the Governor, whose official title is the
Muazziz-i-Sultan, but who is better known as the Sheikh Mizal.
He is a man of handsome appearance and singularly good manner.
He is the only powerful Arab chief now left in Arabistan : all have
been broken but him. Intrigues by rival relations, set up at the
instance of the Government, and resulting in feuds and factions,
have made an end of the others as regards both their wealth and
power. Sheikh Mizal alone remains with the appearance of
strength, and his possessions untouched, notwithstanding the long-
continued plotting of his elder brother. Mizal was preferred by
the father to the elder son as his heir and successor, and the latter,
while Arabistan was one of the provinces under the Zil-es-Sultan,
resided at Ispahan, the better to plot and plan the ruin of his
younger brother. He has now ceased to attempt trouble.
N: w cart-road. I introduced Mr. Macqueen to all the governors as we passed
down, and explained fully concerning the proposed cart-road, of
which he is chief engineer. They all expressed interest in the
project, and promised their best aid to Mr. Macqueen. The Amin-
es-Sultan had also provided Mr. Macqueen with a letter of recom
mendation, which was shown with good effect. There can be no
doubt of the difficulty which will be experienced in making the
proposed road at small cost. From the first there seems to have
been an idea that it could be made, the whole length of 500 miles,
at an average of 207. a mile. At least this is what I have under
stood the syndicate believed would suffice to construct a road fit
for laden carts. Perhaps the idea was the outcome of a report
that such an estimate had actually been made a few years ago. If
so, a mistake has been made in supposing that a commercial cart-
road was meant. There is a vast difference between a cart-road
for use in a campaign and one to be a permanent highway. The
former may be very rough, with steep gradients and frequent
undulations, and yet, with the organised help which accompanies
convoys and military trains, carts can always pass along. The
permanent cart-road requires curves, cuttings, embankments,
bridges, and easy gradients, so that carts may roll along without
difficulty, for otherwise there can be no real economy in their use.
And this specially applies in Persia, where the mules are so good for
pack purposes, and the horses generally so inferior for heavy draught.
The existing road between Sultanabad and Burujird, and on
to Khoremabad, presents no very great difficulty ; but to be made
well passable for carts will entail considerable expense in securing
an easy line over the intervening ranges. I have already ex
plained that for cart traffic between Khoremabad and Dizful the
present track is impossible of adaptation, and a new line must be
found and followed.