"الملف 73/7 V (D 38) وضع الكويت، والمعاهدة الأنجلو-تركية" [و‎‎٢] (٢١٦/١٦)

la the mill C(
have been put up to te
to heat of brick, stone a
and hollow)vyalIs. Ther
in the interiors and car
an: noted. These shoi;
which should be of grea
only in Delhi but all
office has also been
at Raisina much appr
They will probaHy not 1
Delhi begins to spring
tourists will pass on th
Kutb and other historic
Mention has been in
operations that are cont
the horticultural exper
young trees in his nurs
of the city, end these ca
ever the order is giver
particular attention, as
effort will be made to
isting clumps of trees a
ments for irrigation wil
insure rapid afforestati
be made of the clear in
ramshackle buildings
erected inside the wa
demolition. The Pur
to be disfigured bji
THE PIONEER,
oad snotiisA oqn jo s^t
Jk oaisqs oqii.'tupui jo
OIBJ 01^ JO SI9
igooj o; oans'ebid ^sora,
^131^ AliS
uaoAoS jo qtiSS oq'
x jnOiC o!} eS'EiiguBi jt
ssouqSiH anox 'V
nji^n^oq ^noa en uoa
tuaT?^ 01^ aoj pul
sssuq^iH anox ql
U puis Aipuoijj oqj aoj
noX qoxqAi ni pij
3 A CQ spoadxo oo-E^d '
OT0Huag pu-B S0ipi31 'fi
g oq^ o() poiidoi
^eanouoq uooq p'eq !} sb <
•Hoaaas s.xoaac'
aT3pi Ryvj put? Aoaooi^
oad U9qq. ssauqSfH
SB U 1 QUdf^JJ 13
9a0qy -jios s ( 8uo ui
[uoo 0qj jo ()U8U2UJ8A(
gan^op arej 'ssoupapi 1
jj oq? ui qsi!.i^ 'Aipuoo
0q^ o^ AiiuAot pu'B
ui qil'Bj popuncqun
8iq jo jo^o-bj gu
oojq^ Sui^ohoj eq
'jd 9q ^^q^ pres ssaul
oaojaq euop puq saosse
oq^ jo soiuioue uoaiuj
^ nijoj.i0d 0^ SUI^uba {
!}Eq^ po^snj^ oq 'ppu
cajfTT * ^ r* JC. ^
Sportsmen will be interested to hear that
from the middle of October onwards good
snipe, duck, partridge and sandgrouse
shooting is to be obtained. In Persian territory
no pass is required. The snipe shooting is
paiticularly good, but a steam launch is al
most essential as most of the best places
lie some distance away. Shooting is also to
be obtained on the Turkish side of the river,
for which a pass has to be obta ined. Let not
the sportsman be discouraged, however,
for the requisite forms may be out of stock
in Busrah, when the pass will be granted
free.
Fishing either with fly, spoon or dead bait is
so rarely obtained as to be scarcely worth try
ing for, though some Arabs may be seen any
day sitting on the bank fishing with the most
simple tackle but with only occasional success.
Outside Mohammerab one may ride for miles
in the desert : except for water channels in a
few patches of cultivation there is no jumping.
Jack and foxes abound and with a few long
dogs (excellent ones are to be obtained in the
neighbourhood at very moderate prices) good
runs may be obtained with the sporting mem
bers of the English community.
As regards horseflesh, Jit might naturally be
supposed that in a place so close to Busrah,
where all Arab ponies are shipped for the
Bombay market, well bred ponies were to be
obtained, This, however, is not the case. The
local Arabs have of recent years neglected the
horse breeding for which they were formerly
renowned and it is with great difficulty that
ponies in any way suitable for the Indian
market are to be procured.
No description of Mohammerah would be
complete without mention of Abacan, a few
miles below it on the left bank of Shat-ul-
Arab. Here are situated the oil refineries of
the Anglo-Persian Oil Company whither the
crude oil is conveyed in iron pipes from the
wells at Masjid-i-Suleiman, some sixty or
seventy miles north west of Ahwaz. This
company has obtained from the Persian Govern
ment the right to work all oil that may be
found in this part of Persia, and though found-
edjsome years ago itjhas onlyjrecently extended
its export trade outside the Gulf. A visit to the
works will well repay the time spent. The
European personnel are without exception
Scotsmen, the natives, who number over three
thousand, include Chinese, Japanese, Arabs,
Luris, Bakhtiaris and nearly every class of
i ndian.
One more item deserves notice, namely,
the fact that from Mohammerah will start
the Commission which is to demarcate the
actual frontier line between Turkey and
Persia. It is to be composed of delegates
from Britain, Russia, Turkey and Persia,
though it is understood that the Russian
delegates will not join the Com mission
until it has proceeded some distance
along the frontier. Several portions of the
frontier require exact delimitation but it is in
the vicinity of Lake Urumiah that the chief
difficulty of the Commissioners will lie. Both
Turkey and Persia claim the district under dis
pute. which was quite recently the scene of
a skirmish between the Turkish and Persian
two defects neither of which
able.
Firstly.— The bar at the mo
which, as has already been r
only be crossed at high tide
Turkey hag form ally handed ove
lighting and policing of the Gu
little doubt that dredging op
undertaken in the near future £
removed.
Secondly.—It must be rer
Turkey owns one and Persia tl
the Shat-el-Arab and i n the evt
the between Turkey and Pertda
be subjected to fire from on e c
banks. The contingency is a re
granted, but is worthy of nc
standing the fact that the fret
the river has been secured I
[Turkish Cbnven tion of July of
In any case, an alternative r
exists in the channel of the E
self, both banks of which are
ritory. During the war of 185
warships actually used this cha
of very light draught as is pro
that it was able to get ove
Nasiri and reach Ah waz. Dred
on a large scale would therefo
to make this loute practicable.
It is hoped that sufficient ha
prove that Mohammerah must
will probably be in a north-w<
along the left bank of the Sha1
ocean-going steamers will be a
their cargo within a stone's
bank. In the writ r's opinion
in the world that will make
towards prosperity in the nc
this little known spot.
UNITED PROVINCE
RATES.
♦
W b find that the copy of s
United Provinces Local Rates
to us after its amendment in t
Council proceedings on Tuesda
correct. The following is the
section as it finally appears h
Where a local rate is impose
subsection (I) of clause 3 on
landlord may recover the rate
proprietor or a permanant less^
the estate whose rent has beer
ed by a competent court or fn
holds land comprised in the es
in perpetuity, to the following
from such under-proprietor <
bearing the same proportion t(
ed at 2| per cent on the annu
land held by him as such anr
deduction therefrom of the ;
recorded bears to half such a
from such person a sum equal
the annual value of the land '
(a) if at the date of the C(
this Act the rural poli(
under the United Provincef
Police Rates Act, 1906, in
land was wholly recover
^^Jinder^roprietor^perms^
an: noted
which should
only in Dell
office has a
Delhi begins
tourists will
Kutb and oth
Mention h£
operations th
THE PIONHER SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7,
2
plans, In tl compound flnoall towers
have been pi HP to te st the resisting-power
to heat of bri fei 9 ton ® and mud roofs and (solid
and hollow) vi I s* 1 hermometers are suspended
in the interio careful readings are taken
icse should give standard tables
Uof great value to builders not
but all over India. A post
ibeen opened, and residents
at Raisina n i-'H appreciate this convenience.
They will pro By not want for visitors as ^ew
to spring into being, and many
jss on their way to and from the
historical show-places,
been made of the reboiuement
are contemplated. Mr. Griessen,
the horticult ral expert, has some thousands of
young trees in b*® nursery near the Delhi (jate
of the city, f n these can be planted out when
ever the orde is given. The Ridge will need
particular att
effort will be
isting clumps
be made of tl
ramshackle
niion, as it is very bare. Every
mftde to preserve and utilize ex-
Ktreesand bayh», and arrange
ments for irri jifcion will be on a scale that will
insure rapid 2 5'jrestatiun. Mention should also
clearing out of Indrapat. The
ladings which squatters had
erected insu »tho walls being in course of
demolition. 'he Parana Qila will cease
bo be disfij k ^d by these excrescences.
jiohammerah.
A COEBESPONDENT.]
As Mohamiliemh has lately been attracting a
jertain amouat of public attention, possibly
1 few notes oitha place by one who had occa-
don recently joispend a few months there may
je of interest to your readers.
Situated ab^ulGO miles from the bar off the
nouth of the Shat-el-Arab and 40 miles from
?ao at its moath, Mohamm )rah is the capital
md most iaiBortant town of the province of
Arabistan anilies at the junction of the present
nain exit of tie Karun and Shat-ul-Arab rivers.
Chis exit knowi as the Uaffar Canal (haffar-digj
3 supposed to; have been built by Alexander
he Great to avoid sailing down the Karun and
ocidentally to open up direct communication
vith the Shaflul-Arab. Whether this be true
•r not, Alexaader—according to Lord Curzon —
ounded one. of his Alexandrias on or
tear tha site, of the present town. After
lestruction by flood it was successively known
,3 Antiojhia aad Oh irax. j
Ardeshir Babahan rebuilt the town in A. D.
(35 and changed its name to Astrabad ; when
t received its present name is unknown. Some
entunes ago when Dizful, Shuster and Ahwaz
rare importadt cities, Mohammerah was a port
f some renown. LWith the daclinj of these
ities, however, it fell into disuse, for early in
he present century it was rebuilt by one of the
heikhs of tha .Mahaisen tribe of Arabs with
he object of resisting Turkish encroachments.
>pened a few years later as a free port by one
f hissuccassors.tha new port so greatly inter-
ared with the trade of Basrah that the Turks
ant an expedition and captured it in 1837.
t was during, the wars that ensued that the
hen ruling Arab chief called to his aid the
'atsians/who ware not then the negligible
lilitary quintity that they have siuce become,
he Persians in f it made the Arab chief
overaor aad reruined in occupation of the
>wn, the possession of which was a fruitful
rase of dispute bet ween them and the Turks
atil 1847 when, thanks to the diplomatic
ipport afforded Persia by Russia and Britain,
nuohammerah was finally ceded to Persia by
the treaty of Erzerum, and with them it has
since remained.
t Daring the Persian war of 1887 Mohammerah
Hfits the scenj of soma fighting. Batteries
fpere erected on the north and south banks of
the Ilal'far canal and the Britis!! war vessels and
transports were subjected to a heavy fire as they
proceeded up the river, though with lif.le or no
lisutt. A snell from one of the warships fortu-
1)Utely exploded the chief Persian magazine
I bout mUday of the 2t)th March, shortly after
■fca disjmbarkatiorf of thj British co.oinenced,
B'hich so greatly demoralised them that no
■oonei 1 had the troops fojmad up to
Black tham they disappeared. Retreat
ing—or rather flying—along the right
Rank of the river they took up another
Jsition in tha vicinity of Ahwaz, from which a
5w days later in a bloodless encounter 10,000
|f^ersians wore driven by some 300 men of the
Mth an 1 7Bth Regiments. Signs of the Bri*
Bsh bombardment are still to be seen in
jhe deep fm-ro >s on a few of the date-
P^lms in the neighbourhood, while some of the
■hell picked up after tha bombardment
are to this day used as weights in the main
Caravanserai. An island opposite Mohana-
erah, where a bittery wa.j posted, is also
known as Aaa-ul-Rasas (Mother of Shell).
General John Jacob, who accompanied
the Persian expedition, in command
of the cavalry, strongly urged that
Mohammerah, which had bacomo British
by right of conquest, should be retained to
gether with the province of Khuzistan, or
Arabistan as it is now called, which he
considered wore of tremendous strategical
importance.
After a lapse of na arly 60 years it is interest
ing to consider what advantages Britain would
have derived had his advice been followed and
how suprema would have been her influence
by the present tima in this neighbourhood
which is rapidly becoming of great world
interest.
It is very many years now since the atten
tion of the British was first attracted to the
value and possibilities of the Karun trade
route, but notwithstanding the repeated efforts
of British merchants in conjunction with two
Bakhtiari chiefs to obtain concessions for trade
on the Karun—the latter unfortunates were
either imprisoned or put to death by the Persian
Government—no concessions were granted until
1888, In that year the Karun was declared open
as far as Bander Nasiri, situated at the rapids
some two miles below the town of Ahwaz,
whither merchandise after arrival at the
for tier place is now conveyed by horse-drawn
trams.
Messrs Lynch Bros, accordingly inaugurated
their steamboat service. Their steamer the
Malamir—nimad after a well-known plain in
the heart of the Bakhtiari country—does the
journey to Nasiri, about 110 miles, in 36-48 hours,
depending on the time of year and amount of
water in the river, with two iron barges loaded
with cargo lashed to either side. Owing to
the numerous shoals that are encountered, the
steamer anchors for some hours during the
night : running aground is frequent and it says
much for the Captain's skill and knowledge
of the river that the delays are no longer,
B'ollowing the opening of the
trade route, a British Vice-Consul was ap
pointed in 1890, to be raised to the status of
Consul a few years later as trade deve
loped and the number of British subjects
increased.
As might be expe cted from the name Arabis
tan, tha population of Mohammerah, numbering
some4,033 -5.003, exel uding the oil refineries of
t!.e Anglo Persian Oil Company at Abadan, is
mainly composed of Arabs, The remainder is
made up of natives of Dizful and Shuster, a fe*.*
merchants from other parts of Persia, Baghdadi
Jews and Christians, Mention must also be made
of the community of Sabians, some 20 families
of whom occupy a small and entirely distinct
villaga outside the main town. Many and
conflicting reports have been written of this
interesting people who style themselves fol
lowers of St, John (Mandai Yaheiya), Accord
ing to Curzon, they rtcognise St. John the
Baptist as their chief prophet, although
acknowledging the divinity of God. They
have no churches and running water plays
an important part in their ritual. The
visitor if he is fortunate, may, as he passes
the village in his 41 belum," see one of their
baptisms. These baptisms are frequently
renewed; marriage and prayer also require
running water. In appearance and dress, the
Sabians cannot be distinguished from the local
Arabs : they intermarry only among them
selves, aro smiths by trade and usually in a
state of poverty.
The Sheikh of Mohammarah, though flying
the Persian flag and nominally a Persian sub
ject, is virtually independent. He is the chief
of the already mentioned Muhaieen Arabs, the
majority of whom living on the right bank of
the Shat-el-A rab are of course Turkish subjects.
His palace at Feilieh on the same river, four
to five miles above Mohammerah and quite
close to the Perso -Turkish frontier, is an
imposing two-sto ried structure fitted with
electric light. Here on the King's birthday
and the Id he entertains most of the European
community at dinner : he also keeps an
English speaking doctor,
Tha town itself is governed by an official
styled the Naib-ul-Hukumeh, who pays the
Sheikh a yearly stipend for this privilege.
He derives his income from the fines he can
extract from malefactors, vaiious rentals and
other privileges which are in his giving.
Even more important than the above is the
Rais-ul-Tujar (chief of the merchants). Him
self an enterprising and most successful mer
chant, he is the Prime Minister and chief
adviser to the Sheikh on all matters relat
ing to trade and other allairs. Nor must
mention of the Kar ^Guzar (Akram-ul-
Mulk) or Foreign Office Agent be omitted.
Appointed by the Central Government, his
duties are to superintend mercantile oper
ations and represent the Persian Foreign
Office. Lord Curzon in his Fer&ia mentions
having been put to grave inconvenience during
his travels in this part of Persia from one of
these officials, but at the present time, the posi
tion of the KarGuzar is to all intents and pur
poses a sinecure. The present holder of the
office is a most charming man, who regards
his sojourn among the Arabs as little short
of exile. Like many Persians he is devoted
to gardening and always welcomes Europeans
with that charm of manner for which the
better class Persians are so justly renowned.
As regards the relations between the Arabs
and Persians, it is recorded that during the Per
sian war of 1857 all the fugitives and wounded
Persians that fell into the hands of the Arabs
were massacred, British troops alone prevented
the camp being looted after the Persians' flight.
Relations, though greatly improved since
then, cannot even now be termed cordial: the
Arabs refer to the Persians as " Apim " or
Barbarian and regard them as eUeminate, while
the Persians regard the Arabs as plotters,
Mohammerah may best be reached by
B. I, S. N. Company, of which there is a bi-week
ly service—fast and slow mail. The former
touches only at Muscat and Bushire to pick up
mails and passengers, the journey taking five
days from Karachi: the latter touches at all
the ports on the Gulf, the journey from Karachi
taking anything from ten to fourteen days
Rarely a week passes without two or more
tramp steamers passing Mohammerah, but
their arrival and departure is uncertain. The
steamer arrives at the mouth of the Shat el-
Arab about 12 hours after leaving Bushire.
Here it is usually necessary to anchor, for the
bar can only be crossed at full tide when there
is i8 feet of water. Fao, on the Turkish side
of the river, where the cable end of the Gulf
section of the In 1o-European Telegraph Com
pany comes up, is passed a few miles higher
up. Here there has been erected a fort which
only diplomatic pressure at Constantinople and
the presence of a British warship at Fao pre
vented being mounted with guns to become a
menace to the shipping.
There are no hotels or caravan-serais in Mo-
hammerab where travellers may put up, so if a
stay is intended previous arrangements should
be made. The steamers anchor opposite the
junction of the HaEfar Canal, which is here
about 600 yards wide and 20 to 30 feet deep.
After a medical inspection, the visitor will
be taken ashore in a "belum" as the local boats
are called, numbers of which come to meet
every steamer on arrival. These are long,
narrow craft something like a racing punt
and are sailed by a mast and sail or poled or
paddled. Most of the European residents
have " bplums " of their own, hiring
local Arabs as " balumchies " to pole or paddle
the craft. From frequent working together
these acquire great dexterity and are only too
keen to bet or gamble with the crew of a rival
" bclum " on tha result of a race—which latter
sometimes culminates in a free fight when the
most violent language is used and knives are
drawn butseldum any blood.
Proceedipg up stream are passed the C ustoms
House, in the hands of Belgian officials, the
ware-houses and offices of the various business
firms and the Consulate, which is shortly to be
rebuilt.
Both in Mohammerah and Ahwaz, the British
Consulates are unimposing looking buildings
and quite unbefitting tha dignity of a great
power like Britain, It is believed that
during Lord Curzon's Viceroyalty plans
and estimates for more fitting consulates
were prepared, to be pigeon-holed on his de
parture from India. Considering what British
interests are in this neighbourhood and the
Eastern respect for pomp and show, it is surely
to her interest to provide suitable residences for
her Consuls. It is to be,hoped the new Consu
late will be on a larger and grander scale.
Almost all the firms haveadopted and altered
to their requirements Persian houses, the
Anglo-Persian Oil Company alone having built
a fresh building. This is a fine two storeyed
building lighted by electric light as is tha
" English" Club which lies adjacent to it.
Mohammerah at the utmost cannot boast more
than thirty-five European residents, and it
speaks much for the enterprise of these that
they have completed a club with tennis and
badmington courts and billiard room which can
bear comparison with the average up-country
Indian one.
Passing the club, the next building of any
note is the residence of Haji Rais, the Rais-ul-
Tujar already mentioned.
The town of Mohammerah is next reached.
Wiih a river front of half a mile, it stre.chea
back into the desert for some three-quarters of
Fir almost its entire length the
is lined with coffee shops,
where in the early morning and again towards
limbers,
an air
a mile,
river front
sunset the male inhabitants wend their way
and, squatting crosswise on the wooden benches
sip a cup of tea or coffee, discuss the local news
and doubtless criticise the passers-by. The most
conspicuous of these coffee shops, and they
are quite the feature of Mohammerah, is that
frequented by the Jews ; supported on piles it
is built out into the river. The bazaar itself
hes behind these. Like most bazaars in Persia it
is roofed in and is closed for several hours in
the middle of tha day. Beyond the making of
copper vessels and trays Mohammerah has no
special industry like Shiraz, Ispahan or Kirman
and the shops are consequently indifferent and
uninteresting.
A straggling Sabian village is oext passed
aid a little later the "Arsenal" with the
arGuzar'a house next to it. The Arsenal
consists of fife muzzle-loading guns and
with soma barracks in rear,
of blight and decay over the
whole. What might have formed a quite
picturesque picture is spoiled by the wooden
structure which has been erected directly in
front of the guns : its use may be best left to
the imagination. Beyond this lie the residences
of the officials of the Imperial Bank of Persia,
by far the best buile and most comfortabl e
of the European houses. All the above lie
on the right bank, with the exception
of the quarantine station and oae small village
iha left bank is lined with date groves, in the
cultivation of which the entire Arab popula
tion find employment. These date gardeao'
with an occasional crop of wheat or barley
grown (beneath the palms, extend about eigh^
miles up the river. The banks of the Shat-ul-
Arab are also lined with them from its mouth
to some considerable distance above Busrah,
I hey form a restful and pleasing contrast to
the rest of the surrounding country, which
is dead flat, bare and monotonous in the
extreme.
The traveller who in other parts of the world
has seen the value that is made of all available
water cannut fail to notice how little use is
made of this, the largest and most
important of Persian rivers. The already
mentioned date groves rarely extend
more than a quarter of a mile inland and
are irrigated by water channels dug at right
angles to the banks of the river, which are
filled and emptied at each rise and fall of the
tide. Were the most primitive methods of rais
ing water to be introduced, large areas of fer
tile soil now neglected could easily be brought
under cultivation. Remains of abandoned cul
tivation prove that a much larger area was
formerly under cultivation, but Government
oppression ani the enormous percentage of
revenue des -anded (sometimes as high as sixty
per cent of the crop) have had their natural
effect. In any other hands bat those of the
Persians the district with its vast natural
resources would have been a very different
place to what it is at the present day,
Mohammerah is also the headquarters of
the Persian ISavy or more correctly Customs
Preventive Service, which,ccnists of two steam
ers and two small yachts fitted with one Or
two guns each. The largest of these, the
Persepolis, is the flagship of the squadron.
Tradition says that it was bought from a Ger
man firm, who fitted it with a ram to please
the Shah and charged for it accordingly. It is
extremely doubtful whether it could put to
sea in safety, though the others are more ser-
viceabla.
A Belgian naval officer is in charge of the
squadron and the crew are almost entirely
composed of Arabs who make far better
seamen than the Persians, which is hardly to
be wondered when their former traditions are
considered.
Much has been written of the climate of the
Persian Gulf, Its horrors are a bye-word
amongst officers of the East Indies Squadron
and British India, Bad it undoubtedly is, but
Mohammerah enjoys, and deservedly, the.
reputation of having the best climate of these
parts. Until the end of July when the
south wind commences the climate compares
very favourably with that of the averaga
Indian plains station. During August and until
the middle of September the climate is exces
sively damp and trying, while the thermometer
records a temperature several degrees higher
than that of Bombiy at its worst, Without
this wind, however, the district would not have
gained the reputation it has of producing the
finest dates in the world, for the ripening of the
date crop and the arrival of Indian dhows
which come for their annual cargo of dates
entirely depend upon it. Incidentally, most
excellent soles aro to be obtained during these
months and form a welcome addition to tha
rather indifferent local supplies.