"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٣‎٠] (١٧٨٢/٤٧٣)

llupsian rail
way recon
naissance in
S outhern
Persia, 1900.
330
on board. The Sultan visited both ships in harbour on the 16tli ; after
which they took their departure separately.
The visits of these ships to the ports of the Persian Gulf were generally
characterised by much ceremony ; profuse salutes and formal courtesies
were resorted to to give eclat to the proceedings ; and on more than one
occasion the ship herself was thrown open to inspection by the riff-raff of
the Arab or Persian populace. " A little more reserve/' the British Consul
at Basrah remarked, a would have produced a greater impression on the
Oriental mind."
In 1900 a Russian railway reconnaissance was carried southwards
from Central Persia to several points on the coast of the Gulf, a proceeding
in itself sufficient to explain the nature of Russian designs in southern Persia
and the manner in which the Russians hoped to support the naval base of
which they were in search. The expedition by which the reconnaissance
was carried out consisted of nearly a dozen Russians, not including some
Russian or Russian-speaking servants. They reached Tehran in March
1900 and left again for Isfahan about the 6th of April, accompanied by
the Secretary of the Russian Legation in Persia and by some 60 Persian
Cossacks. On arrival at Isfahan, on the 18th of April, the expedition
was found to have diminished in numbers, some of the members having
evidently been detached to examine branch routes. Of those who reached
Isfahan all but one left again on the 24th of April in the direction of
Shiraz, while the remaining member, M. Tomiloff, started alone for
Shushtar via the Bakhtiyari country upon the following day.
The scattered party eventually reached the coast at four different
places. The first to emerge were M. Sakhanski, in charge of the whole
expedition, who reached Bushehr before the end of May, and M. Tomiloff,
who arrived at Muhammareh from Nasiri on the 18th of that month.
M. Sakhanski remained at Bushehr until the 3rd of June, when he
returned to Europe by sea. M. Tomiloff made his way by sea from
Muhammareh to Bushehr, whence he travelled by road to Shiraz and back
again, returning to Bushehr on the 12th of June j he was then convcj
by the Darya Baigi in the Persian steamer " Persepolis to Muham
mareh and returned northwards by Nasiri. The third party to complete
their work arrived at Bandar ^Abbas on the 7th of June, having travel!
thither from Shiraz via Firuzbad; on arrival it consisted of three
Russians, one of whom was Dr. Sakhanski, a nephew oi the lea^lei
the expedition j another Russian who had started with them from Isf a
had shot himself accidentally in the course of the journey and hat
sent back from Qumisheh to Tehran for medical treatment. Il - u ou ^
party, composed originally of three Europeans, was the last to aaiv