"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎٢‎٧‎٢] (٦١٦/٥٤٨)

POLITICAL RESIDENCY FOR 1910
' 41
of whose tribes lost no time in deserting him, took refuge after a brief skir
mish with A. Rahim. The latter had intended to send him assistance, but
the Amir Muhakham s adherents, with the approval of their chief made it
clear to him that if be supported larhan aouvely they on their part would
render a similar service to the Shaikh. Farhan finally took refuge with the
Bakhtian, with whom he still was at the clos(j of the year A request on
the part of His Majesty's Minister to the Sardar that he should use his in
fluence to prevent A. Kahim from supporting Farhan or from protecting him
in any way was met by the assertion that the Shaikh had no right to roerce
him; he refused altogether to hand him over to the Shaikh. The Shaikh
who throughout the affair kept the Governor of Arabistan and the Minister
of Interior fully apprised of his intentions and objects, threatened to pursue
to Ab-bid unless his subject, Haidar of the A1 Kathir, was released from
Ab-bid, whence he had been taken as a prisoner by Farhan; the threat was
successtul, and Haidar was set free without delay.
At the close of the year no settlement between the Shaikh and Farhan had
been effected, and a renewal of hostilities seemed not unlikely.
M. Zwinne was Provincial Director till October, when he went on six
Customs Administration. months' leave, being replaced by M.
Delcroix from Kermanshah. Both were
on the whole pleasant and helpful in their attitude to the Consulate, though
M. Zwinne was much disliked by the Oil Company, who had however only
themselves to thank for any severity he may have shown to them. M. Del
croix evinced at first a disposition to interfere in quarantine matters, and to
make new and irksome rules and regulations, but the phase was transient,
and he soon settled down to steady work in his legitimate sphere.
The relations of the Customs with the Shaikh were on the whole good but
the unwonted activity of the Steam Launch " Muzaffari" in the autumn' the
dismissal of Shaikh Abdul Hussein, Director at Nasiri, and the proposal of
the Central Administration to place a Belgian in the latter place, in violation
of the Firman, which stipulated that only one Belgian should be employed in
Arabistan, caused the Shaikh some anxiety, and negotiations were proceeding
at the close of the year, with the assistance of His Majesty's Minister, to en
sure that the Shaikh's firman should not lose any of its force by reason of the
new appointment proposed.
Smuggling continued unabated throughout the year.
No cases of plague occurred througnout the year.
Assistant Surgeon G. B. Rehling, I.S.M.D., held charge throughout the
Quarantine, l™ 1 ' exce ^ fDr three months during
the autumn, when he was temporarily re
placed by Assistant Surgeon Lincoln from Bandar Abbas.
Cholera broke out in Baghdad, in September, and found its way thence to
joasrah, Mohammerah, Fallahiyah and Ahwaz. Numerous deaths occurred in
Mohammerah, Fallahiyah and also in the Shaikh's army which was collected
at the time near Ahwaz.
Quarantine was imposed at Ahwaz on arrivals from Mohammerah, and
strict medical inspection of ballams arriving at Mohammerah from Basrah
was also arranged for. No friction occurred, but the Sanitary Council of
Health provided for some 700 tomans expenditure through the agency of the
shaikh's Physician, Assistant Surgeon Francis (retired) on disinfectants, etc.,
or use in the town of Mohammerah, a singularly futile waste of money.
Fast and slow mails called weekly
Marine ' and fortnightly respectively throughout
the year.
The local postal service was very satisfactorily carried on. At the Close
p ogts of the year a weekly service between
Ahwaz and Ispahan was started, but it
emains to be seen whether it will be satisfactory. It is much needed, as the
post via Bushire takes six weeks to Tehran and that via Kermanshah nearly
a month from Mohammerah.
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