"الخليج الفارسي وخليج عُمان. الموارد والدفاعات الساحلية. ١٩٠٣." [ظ‎‎٢‎٣] (١٢٠/٥٣)

42
Passage
distances.
Resources.
Communica
tions.
I
PERSIAN GULF.—RESOURCES AND DEFENCES.
Note. —Owing to the absence of railways in South Persia, and
the prohibitive charges for transport on the caravan routes from
the various ports, the greater part of the interior is almost
inaccessible to British trade. In the west, however, the Karun,
the sole navigable river of S. Persia, forms the approach to
valuable provinces, and it is easy to understand the importance
which is attached to the development of this river as a trade
route. {See Appendix, p. 84.)
AHWAZ AND BUNDER NASRI.
{See Admiralty Charts 1,235 and 2,837 b.)
Ahwaz is situated on the E. bank of the Karun River at the
upper end of the rapids {see p. 41). It is stated to have about
7,000 inhabitants.
Bunder Nasri is the new commercial village on the same bank
just below the rapids, and is the terminus for the steamers on the
lower river.
In 1901 the value of the exports was 69,543/., of the imports
72,358/.*
The approximate distance of Ahwaz from—
Mohammerah (by river) is 117 miles.
„ (by road) is about 85 miles.
Bund-i-kir (by river) is about 40 miles.
Shuster (by river and road) is about 25 miles.
Dizful (by river and road) l
Kermanshah (by road) is about 270 miles.
Ramadan {via Kermanshah) is about 370 miles.
There is no information as to the resources of Ahwaz.
Roads. —There are roads—
( 1 .) to Mohammerah.
( 2 .) to Ram Hormuz.
(3.) to Shuster, Dizful, &c. (See Appendix, p. 84.)
Steamers.—See under Karun River.
Tclegrai>h .—A line of telegraph connects Ahwaz with
Mohammerah.
There is no information as to the continuation of this line
N. of Ahwaz.
Note .—After the occupation of Mohammerah by the British
forces in March 1857, a small expedition consisting of two
gunboats and four companies of troops in light transports
ascended the river to Ahwaz and drove the Persians out of
that place. (See Appendix, p. 88 .)
0 1 he figures for 1902 (for Ahwaz and Shuster via Karun River were :—
Exports, 111,153/., and imports, 80,658/.