'Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol I. Historical. Part IA & IB. J G Lorimer. 1915' [‎327] (470/1782)

" mi
526
^ P^tlik.
this meaii^
Q
^t, tiori Km
m Idmii
liSai
am
)m consular fe a
bj Russia, k mi
itoms Tariff, litis
•yj
id. y foraatS'
ma
■ialii
ibseqaeiit rew
ill we i
r liiclitlie^ !:
rforitesf' 1 ' 1 '
tw
. her
ill'
tkF 11
jjinSoi
327
Turkish newspaper at Constantinople, announced that [Russia was about
to seize Qishm Island in order to forestall Britain. In August His
I5ritannic Majesty s Minister at lehran reported the existence of reasons
for believing that Russia had acquired, in regard to a port in the Persian
Gulf, certain rights which it might not suit her to enforce immediately;
and in October the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs informed the
British Ambassador at Constantinople confidentially that there was ground
to suppose that the Russian Government were negotiating with the
Persian Government for a port in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to form the terminus
of a trans-Persian Russian railway, or even that the two Governments had
already reached an understanding on the subject. Almost simultaneously
a striking article appeared in the St. Petersburg " Viedomosti,^ edited by
Piince Ukhtomski; it advocated the acquisition of the port of Bandar
Abbas, together with the islands of Qishm, Hanjam, Larak and Hormuz,
in order to provide a terminus for a Russian railway across Persia; and
special reference to the excellent but little-known anchorage off Laft on
the island of Qishm proved that the scheme was based upon good local
information. In this article a scheme for a trans-Persian railway to
Chahbar Bay was also mentioned, but was treated as of secondary impor
tance. The Persian Government strenuously denied the existence of
negotiations between themselves and Russia on the subject of any port in
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; but later developments, as will be seen, made the
truthfulness of their disclaimer appear very doubtful.
In 1900 the Russian cruiser " Gilyak " visited the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and
the circumstances of her visit seemed to point to an intention on the part
of the Russian Government to establish a coaling station at Bandar 'Abbas.
This vessel, which was en route to the China station, left Aden for the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. on the 7th February 1900 after a voluminous telegraphic
correspondence between her commander and the Russian Government.
She arrived at Bandar 'Abbas on the 14th February and was joined there
by the a Waddon a British merchant vessel which had been specially
chartered at Suez to carry coal for her to Bandar 'Abbas, and which left
Aden two days after she did. The object of these peculiar arrangements
which might have been obviated by coaling at Bombay or Karachi, can
only be conjectured. The 800 tons of coal brought by the " Waddon "
was more than the a Gilyak " could receive into her bunkers, and, after the
greater part of the surplus had been piled on her deck, a small residue of
about 16 tons remained} this small quantity, insignificant in itself but
sufficient for the foundation of a depdt, the commander of the " Gilyak SJ
would, with the permission of the Persian Deputy. Governor of Bandar