"نهر كارون: مذكرة بقلم السيد بارينج" [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٦] (٤/٢)

2
Berlin Geographical Society. In April last I drew up a memorandum, con
densing the information supplied by Mr. Schindler, and which was forwarded
to Earl Granville by Her Majesty’s Minister at Tehran.
Mr. Schindler gives five routes from Khoremabad to Dizful, of which two
may be at once dismissed as impracticable.
He says the longest road by Taidar is practicable for artillery, and this
information is borne out by what I heard at Dizful. Sir Henry Rawlinson,
however, states that the road is not less difficult than the one between
Bushire and Shiraz. Mr. Schindler then describes two other roads, one
156 miles in length, through the Chimishk Pass to Dehliz, and then by
Badamek and Yelmian; the other, 133 miles in length, the same as the
above as far as Dehliz, and then by Moukhbir-abad and Pirinjzar to Rizze.
The first route, though longer, appears to be rather the better of the two.
I have spoken with Mr. Schindler on the subject of communication
between Dizful and Khoremabad, and he has assured me most positively
that, without any very great expenditure, the roads he travelled over might
be put into good order.
I quite admit the objection raised with regard to the insecurity of the
country. The Lur tribes are lawless to a degree, and not in the least anxious
to see their country opened up. But have not other parts of Persia been at
times notorious for insecurity, and has not the Persian Government been able
to render them pretty secure ? It is not so very long ago that robberies were
of frequent occurrence between Shiraz and Bushire, and Shiraz and Ispahan;
but Ferhad Mirza, when Prince Governor of Ears, by the exercise of
unsparing severity, managed to restore order. The country between Behbehan
and Shiraz, inhabited by the Kohgelu and Mamasseni tribes, was at one time
so unsafe that travelling was well nigh impossible. When I passed through
these districts, however, there was comparatively little danger, owing to the
strong measures that had been taken by Eerhad Mirza and his son the
Ihtisham-ed-Dowleh. The Zel-es-Sultan, under whose authority Luristan is,
is an energetic ruler, and one who is not likely to shrink from the strongest
repressive measures, and I cannot but think that he both could and would
render the road from Dizful to Khoremabad as safe as many other provinces
of Persia.
Were a metalled road made from Bushire to Shiraz, I presume it would
pass by Eirozabad, as the gradients on that line are easier. This route has,
however, always been very insecure.
I am most unwilling to set up my opinion against that of Sir II. Rawlinson,
but I confess I should somewhat regret the complete abandonment of the
Karun scheme, as I still cling to the idea that we should derive commercial
as w ell as political advantages, v r ere it thrown open to our ships.
I have not, unfortunately, yet received from Persia my maps, notes, and
certain books of reference, which would be useful to me in treating of this
subject, but as far as I remember the distance from Shuster to Tehran, by
w r ay of Dizful, Khoremabad, Burujird, and Kom, is about 480 miles, a gain
of 320 miles land carriage on the Bushire route.
My theory is that w e could place our goods in the Tehran market by the
Karun route at a cheaper rate than it is possible for us to do now, and that
we should also open up for our trade provinces in which we, at present,
cannot compete with Russia. Ispahan w r ould, I fear, suffer, and this, no
doubt, is a matter for consideration, as the market is an important one.
There is one objection to the scheme of which I w as not aware wdien I
wrote my report in January last.
Enclosure No. 5 in Colonel Ross’s Despatch to the Government of India,
of 12th January last, contains Messrs. Gray Paul’s view's as to what terms
they would require to make it w orth their while to run steamers on the
Karun. They demand exclusive rights of navigation for 50 years. Now,
Her Majesty’s Minister at Tehran, in bringing the question before the
Shah’s Government, has alw r ays pointed to the fact that w r e w-ere not seeking
for a monopoly. We opposed Dr. Tholozan’s scheme, which was a monopoly
of the most complete description, on the grounds that it was an infringement
of Baron Reuter’s concession. Could we now apply for the exclusive rights
without which Messrs. Gray Paul declare they could not entertain the
project ? What is necessary for our interests is that, w r ere the Karun opened