File 1421/1908 Pt 2 'Persia: oil; Ahwaz oil guard' [‎124r] (247/482)

No punishment was inflicted by you on the men sent for by you from Birdamil who
had been causing trouble at Mr. Bradshaw’s camp, so that to have reported to vou his
incident would have seemed useless. I, however, note your Exceilency ? s wish arT wdll
do mj best to comply with it, &c. J ’ 1
The recent trouble at Batwand was caused as already quoted above
The ringleaders were Eidi, Sultan Ali, Kasim, and Fathullah, and 'it is these men
wuom I have suggested to your messengers to take to you
vour^ri'tletW 11 jour requett that I should advise you direct of any trouble with
KZ _n l. ft te . tU u ? ) Koorm ? 1 name, who was punished three months back
[Note. Only aftei much delay, and only by my goino- to the snot and insistino' on ti
the evident indifference of the Khans nullified the effect of the punishment-D L I fOT
dramng a knife agamst our Mr. Crawford, on the 26th July severely thrashed a waterman
River 1 ' Cia " fold ’ w 10 " as drawin g water from a spring near Kalam Boor; on the Tenbi
I fear that this man may do that which may cause you much trouble unless von
take steps to stop him, and that quickly. ^ nroume unless you
t0 gi I e - inst " ,ct , i , on3 10 the Company’s men that the people of Batwand
be treated better, and m a kindly and friendly way,” and I note that the men we
employ were improperly treated they would not come for work, and it ivas the desdrelo
work for us, a desire which could not be satisfied, that led to the trouble for which you
are now about to punish the ringleaders. you
( 6 .)
Mr. Reynolds to the Samsam and Sarum-ul-Mulk.
I have the honour to report to you that our Mr. A. B. W. Holland" mliil’ letter of
this date, writes as follows:— ’ e 01
Ulh 1 ? ve ^ o n the ^th July, while our vehicles were on the road
between Bairah Khazmah and Batwand, the rear of our caravan was fired on from the
rocks at Shikaft Kalag, near Birdamil. In all, five shots were fired, when the men
absconded witnout being identified,’’
Seeing that our caravan will be working from Batwand to Maidan-i-Xaftun past
Kalam Boon m the immediate future, and that we have had trouble at both those
places, i report this to you so that you may take such action as you think fit in the
matter. There being no responsible representative of the Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. here, I cannot report
(7.)
Mr. Bradshaw to Mr. Reynolds.
It will not surprise you to hear that the ringleaders in the recent affair at Batwand
are not being taken to the Khans after all. I have just been told by Kaid Rafi the
Tf ad that instead of sending up the ringleaders, the two Kaids of Batwand
Mesmdi llassan and Ghulan AJi, are themselves going to interview the Khans You
Ca Ii r .T dl K gUeSS 1 the r 1 esul< ; i of such an interview, and 1 am afraid our strained relations
with the Batwand people will be renewed.
( 8 .)
Mr. Reynolds to Mr. Bradshaw.
T T , 1 August 8 , 1907.
1 am, i muse say, nervous about what may happen if we do not get these cases
at Batwand—Harris’, Crawford’s, and the firing on caravan—properly taken up.
When the Lurs come down from the hills there will be a row, and if there be a
row our men will shoot, and then all is over. I hope our halos will fit us.
The Khans, even if well-intentioned, which is questionable, have no one to send
whom they can trust to see a matter through.