"B.11 668-II جزيرة سيري" [و‎‎٨‎٦] (٢٩٤/١٧٢)

(Received on the 2'7th September igo8, under cover of a letter from His Britannic
•Majest^Minister^ Tehran^ No, 16, dated the 20th August igo8)
culahak;
August 2oth l igoS,
NCK 226.
Sir,
In the course of conversation some weeks ago on the subject of the
acquisition of a concession for mining red oxide in the island of Sirri,
Eftekhar-et-Tujjar, Tehran, representative of the firm of Haji Ali Akbar and
Company, stated that the Persian Government derived an annual revenue of 100
tomans from that island. As the matter seemed to me to be of some importance
as bearing upon the Persian claim to Sovereignty over Sirri island, I requested
the Acting Consul General at Bushire to endeavour to verify the truth of the
statement.
Captain Trevor has now furnished me with the following information on the
subject. More than 150 years ago the Jowasmi Sheikhs appear to have crossed
over to the mainland and to have taken possession of Lingah and down to 1887
members of their ruling families were Sheikhs of Lingah. They gradually came
under the domination of Persia though at first practically independent, and
having become Governors, or Deputy Governors of Lingah, subordinate to the
Province of Pars, paid as much revenue to the Governor of Fars as he could
extort from them. During this time, however, they continued to collect
revenue from Sirri island and continued to rule it in their capacity as Jowasmi
Sheikhs. An expedition which occasioned a protest on the part of His Majesty's
Government was sent to annex Sirri island to Persia in i887 subsequent to the
deposition by the Persian Authorities of the Sheikh from the Governorship of
Lingah, Since that date the Deputy Governor of Lingah, now a Persian
official, has collected the revenue, at first in kind, at the rate previously exacted
by the Jowasmi Sheikhs, t e., half a bag of rice for a small pearl fishing boat, and
one bag for a large boat; latterly this has been converted to a cash payment of
about 100 tomans {£ 20) a year.
I have the honour to be, with the highest respect,
Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant,
(Signed) CHARLES M. MARLING.
The Right Honourable
Sir Edward Grey, Baronet,
etc., etc., etc.
□
G. c. B. P., Simla —No. C..398 F. D,—8-1o-oS.—30.—E. A. D'S.