"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎١‎٣‎٦] (٦١٦/٢٧٦)

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOB THE YEAR 1907-1908.
79
endeavoured to make peace between them, but Kawab Khan would not agree
to Ahmed Khan's returning to the district.
In March 1908, Mir Nawab Khan informed the Assistant Superintendent
he had been appointed to the'Bahu district in place of Mir Ahmed Khan, and
applied for his subsidy, but he failed to furnish any proof for his appointment
and was advised to submit a formal application to the Director, Persian Gulf
Telegraph Section, giving his credentials or proper authority for his appoint
ment, either from the Governor of Bampur or from Sardar Syed Khan of
Gaih. Mir Ashraf Khan and Mir Nawab Khan are friendly, and the Bahu
district should flourish under this rule.
Mir Ahmed Khan is almost completely broken, and it is much doubted
if he will ever regain sufficient power to enter Bahu territory again. Bis
subsidy is entailed up to the Slst December 1908, when he will have com
pleted all the payments against the theft of 24 camels of our telegraph
employees, at Paleiri, two years ago. It may then be advisable to consider
the transference of Mir Ahmed Khan's subsidy to Mir Nawab Khan.
Practically no rain has fallen this sea-
Eainfall and Crops. son, and drought prevails almost through
out the district.
Memorandum on the smuggling- of arms from Ma skat through the Mekran ports during the
season 1907-1908, based on Mr. New^s report.
Proposals for the establishment of land patrols and telephone stations on
Measures imitated. ^ coas > in order to obtain better inform-
ation ot suspected landing of arms,
were submitted, and subsequently sanctioned by the Government of India at
a cost of E/S. 374 per mensem.
The scheme was initiated at the end of November 1907,10 patrols being
engaged and posted as follows :—
North of the telegraph line, to watch roads from up country.
Karwan district (one) Taran district (one) upper Gabreg district (one).
Coast patrols, one at each of the following places :—Sadech, Soorug,
Rapch, Bandeni, Bir, Jagin and Gabreg.
A further sanction was subsequently obtained for the establishment of
two additional patrols to watch the portion of coast between Tank and
Charbar. One of these was employed at Sirgan, the other being utilized at
the port of Bris Bunder (40 miles east of Charbar), as soon as Afghans began
to operate on that section of the coast. Good reliable men were engaged for
the work, and bad not the Afghans changed their field of operations from
Gabreg to the coast of Biyaban, away from the telegraph line, it would have
been possible to give such speedy information of suspected landing of arms
as migi't have led to more captures than were accomplished during the season.
It is clear, however, that the patrols and telephones, on the coast at all events,
acted as a deterrent to the Afghans, and confined their operations to the
Biyaban coast.
The first Afghans to arrive this season travelled overland from Afghanis-
tan, reaehinff Gabreg at the end of
Commencement of Afghans operations. , T . _ ° ^ -r>. . , -i.
November 1907. During the succeeding
months of December, January and February a few arrived at Jask by mail
steamer, but the majority travelled overland, some direct to the Jask district,
while others came from the direction of Bunder Abbas. They brought many
transport camels from Afghanistan and purchased many more in the Biyaban
and Minab districts.
There was a lapse of two months between the arrival of Afghans on the
coast, and the landing of their first consignment of arms at Gabreg. This
was largely due to the rejection of some 50 Afghan passengers from Maskat,
which greatly disorganized their plans, and later they were unable to come
to terms with Mir Noor Mohamed of Gabreg to send Baluchis to Maskat to
purchase rifles.