The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume X, No. 6 [‎101r] (54/186)

RECENT JOURNEYS IN PERSIA.
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start up the Karun for another week, we continued our journey to
Busreh, where Captain Whyte, Her Majesty’s consul, received us most
hospitably.
Before entering the valley of the Karun, I would mention that that
river was opened to the commerce of the world in 1888, and that ever
since Messrs. Lynch Brothers have maintained a fortnightly service,
in spite of much hostile intrigue on the part of some of the inhabitants
of this district, who did their best to thwart the Shah’s policy. How
ever, the extraordinary tact of Messrs. Lynch’s agents has overcome
much obstruction, and every one is now alive to the advantages that
they have conferred upon the district, so that we may soon hope to
see this system of mutual benefit placed on a thoroughly sound and'
solid basis.
It is but 117 miles from Mohamerah to Ahwaz, but this occupied
the best part of two days to accomplish, as we anchored at night. At
Ahwaz, where a few years ago there were but wretched huts, ware
houses and caravanserais of imposing appearance now line the bank
while great activity is everywhere visible. After spending a few days
with Messrs. Lynch’s agent, Mr. Parry, in his company I proceeded up
to Shustei on the s.s. SJtuslKxn^ the larger boat, the s.s. D/Loil Awiiv, not
being able to surmount the natural barrage that crosses the river in
five separate reefs. This is the crux of the Karun question, as, if the
ancient dam were repaired, there would be water enough to fertilize
millions of acres which now lie idle and useless. At Shuster, one of the
dirtiest, hottest, and most fanatical towns in the world, we lived in
cellars for the greater part of the day, as at 8 a.m. the thermometer regu
larly registered 108° Fahr., while at noon 129° was the average reading..
As may be supposed, we were only too glad to return to the compara
tively cool climate of Ahwaz, where I had left my sister, and here July
was spent. In August, I was so weak from fever and pleurisy that I
had to seek medical advice at Busreh, and again enjoyed every com
fort at the consulate, for which I shall ever be grateful. The moist
heat was so trying that the doctor ordered a sea voyage, so that
early in September we returned to Tehran by the roundabout wav of
Bombay, Aden, Brindisi, and Constantinople.
I was very anxious to have the Ahwaz-Ispahan road properly
mapped as far as its junction with the Shuster route, as, until quite
recently, Ahwaz barely existed, and so there was no road running to
it shown on the map. Here the great value of my faithful plane-tabler
came in, as I was able to send him in charge of my caravan through the
Bakhtiari country and feel quite confident that when we met again at
Tehran, he would have an excellent route report to give in, in which
hope I was not disappointed.
The winter was again spent under the same hospitable roof at Tehran,,
where I saw H.LM. Muzzufur-i-din Shah more than once, who evinced