'Persia Intelligence Report. May, 1946' [‎22r] (43/80)

[Part V — continued]
(B) PORTS
(14) Facilities for Clearing Port Area
The only method of clearing the port area is by road. The wharves and jetties are all connected
with the town by unmetalled, and in most cases rather narrow streets. In the event of heavy rain
(an extremely rare occurrence), the surface becomes very muddy and sticky.
Owing to the small amount of ground available in the rear of the wharves, it is essential to have
abundant transport and a large number of coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. always available at the landing place to prevent
congestion.
A moderately good road connects Bushire with Reshire and the Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , but it is deteriorating
(1945).
The road to Shiraz was maintained by the Royal Engineers in 1942-43, and although it has been
handed over to the Persians it is still in good condition.
The coast road to Lingeh is only fit for M.T. as far as Khormuj (50 miles south of Bushire) ; there
after for animals only.
The road to Bandar Dilam is motorable in fine weather, and connects with a first-class road
(maintained by the A.I.O.C.) from Gavaneh to Gach Saran and Bahbehan. There are caravan routes
to Farrashband and Firuzabad.
(15) Normal Functions of Port
The chief exports are cotton, opium, gum, poppy seed and mohair.
General merchandise is imported which includes mainly rice, tea, flour, sugar, grain, timber and
cloth, much of it is for the hinterland.
Tonnage handled 1935-36 : Imports, 21,000 tons ; Exports, 19,000 tons.
There is regular B.I. steamer communication between India, Bushire, Khorramshahr and Basra.
There is also a subsidiary service to and from India, calling at all the Gulf Ports.
At certain seasons, there is considerable dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. trade using the port.
(16) Estimated Daily Capacity
At present only two ships can be unloaded at one time. But estimated on figures available for
1942 when all the resources of the port were available the approximate daily discharge was 600 tons,
in good weather.
Under normal peacetime conditions, the daily rate of discharge is approximately 250 tons of
mixed cargo per day.
(b) THE TOWN
(1) General
The town of Bushire is on the northern tip of a torpedo-shaped promontory lying parallel to the
coast on the north-west of the district of Ears at a distance of 4 to 5 miles, the intervening space being
occupied by a swampy mud plain (Mashlleh), across the middle of which runs a road to the mainland.
The peninsula measures 12 miles from its north-west point, on which stands the town of Bushire, to
Ras Halileh in the south. The maximum breadth is 3| miles. Seven miles south of Bushire, on the
coast, lies the village of Reshire.
The plain of Mashileh becomes swampy in wet weather, forming a serious obstacle to an advance
inland from Bushire, and to the maintenance of communications. The water level on the Mashileh
is at 6 ft.
The town is poorly built, and there is no attempt at drainage.
Some of the main streets have been relaid and pavements made, while electric lighting has been
installed.
While it has been eclipsed as a port by Khorramshahr (in the Shatt-al-Arab river) and Bandar
Shapur (in the Khor Musa) it is still the principal Persian town in the Gulf. It derives what little
importance which still survives from its position as an import, export and distributing centre for the
districts of Isfahan, Shiraz and Kazerun. Very few of the imports are actually consumed in the town.
The buildings are mostly of Gutch (local cement) with the better ones of stone. The few Europeans
live in villas well outside the town.
In addition to the houses of the British residents other private buildings of note are : the Persian
Governor’s Residence on the west sea wall of the town, the U.S.S.R. Consulate three-quarters of a
mile to the south of the town, the Turkish Consulate near the British Town Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. ; the French,
German and Dutch Consulates are further southward of the town. There are no incumbents in any
of these five Consulates (1945).
(2) Streets and Through-Routes
The streets of the town are narrow and dirty and there is no attempt at drainage. The streets
wind from the port area to the town exit.
(3) Rail Facilities
Nil.