'Volume I. MEMORANDA REGARDING PERSIA AND NORTH-WEST TRANS-FRONTIER. 1905.' [‎10v] (25/310)

labour where possible. The land in question
has been cultivated for 150 years by the Bawil
tribe, and its resumption from them will be a
difficult problem, which only the Sheikh of
Mohammerah could carry through.
19. In the course of subsequent inter
views with Major Morton, Sheikh Khazal ex
pressed himself as against the scheme. The
reservoir would silt up, he thought, as the
Karun carries down much silt when it is high.
Herr van Roggen had exaggerrated the finan
cial possibilities of the scheme, which the Sheikh
believed would end in Russian interfence.
Sheikh Khazal preferred his own scheme of
irrigation by means of pumps.
20. On the 29th December, Sir Arthur
Hardinge had informed the Grand Vizier that
the British Government was disposed to assist
financially in the scheme, provided the irriga
tion officer, who was being sent to Ahwaz,
reported that the proposed dam would not, by
diminishing the water-supply in the lower
reaches of the river, impede its navigation,
and thus injure British trade.
A protracted conversation ensued, in the
course of which the Ain-ed-Dowleh observed
that the construction of the dam was an
absolute necessity for Persia. He finally pro
mised to order M. Naus to instruct Herr
Van Roggen, who was at Ahwaz with two
fresh European engineers for the purpose of
preparing a further report on the scheme,
to discuss the whole project with Major
Morton, and he agreed with Sir Arthur
Hardinge in thinking it advisable that such dis
cussions between them should be of a strictly
confidential nature in view of the presence of a
Russian Consular Agent of Dutch nationality
on the Karun.
21. The arrangements for policing the
upper reaches of the Karun River {vide para
graph 27 of the Memorandum for September
last) are still in a very unsatisfactory condition.
It appears that, although the Sheikh
volunteered to carry out the matter satis
factorily, the Persian Government were
unwilling to allow him sufficient funds to do
so, and eventually ordered the Governor-
General of Arabistan to utilise liis own men.
The perfunctory nature of this arrangement
is exemplified by the incident in November
last of an attack upon some native boats at
Bandar Sheleili by Arabs of Ferhan Assad’s
tribe. The Persian soldiery stood on the high
banks, and watched the proceedings without
any attempt to interfere. According to the
latest reports, a Persian guard of ten men
has been placed on board the S.S. “ Shushan ”
and 50 on the bank. The vessel resumed its
interrupted sailings, and will continue to sail
so long as the guard remains at its present