'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎222v] (449/610)

410
Portfof Enzali,
anj waiships on the Caspian. In 1838 Russia occupied the
J ttle isfand ol Ashuradeh, close to the end of the spit of Miyan-
kaleh at the entrance to the Gulf of Astarabad, as a naval
nase m the .Southern Caspian to check Turkoman piracy. In
,., 6 1 t l deCr f e l .? f , the Russian Imperial Council of State prohi-
ited the establishment of companies for the navigation of the
aspian y any but Russian subjects and the purchase of any
shares m such companies by foreigners.
The Caspian consequently became a Russian lake and
means of communication across it were developed to further
nani ° XpaDS1 ? n °* R usso-Persiani trade. Steamship com-
panics were formed and regular services maintained.
SouTbern eXP Ti b o aCh borderin g the South Western and
Southern shores of the Caspian in this area affords no natural
harbours and the mouths of rivers are all silted up with sandbars
Shortly before 1900, however the port of Enzali was constructed
by a Russian company subsidiary to the Russian Road Company,
The port is formed between two spits of sandhills jutting out
for several miles from the mainland between the Caspian and a
large Murdao or lagoon, which is formed by the united water of
several streams banked up behind these sandspits and seeking
an outlet to the sea. ®
2n -^ be EaS , te , r T n ®P lt ™ ns due West from the mainland to
Qazian, and the Western spit runs East North-East to 3 Enzali
ihe entrance between these two spits is about 800 yards wide
narrowing further in to 240 yards, and faces North West From
each of these spits breakwaters have been built out for 500
yards, the Eastern breakwater in the direction of North North-
S- ’ tbe , Weste l rn breakwater in the direction of North
S'and wtt
Inside the Eastern breakwater there is a large sandbank,
ft? T been dred g ed as R aft ords some shelter against
the Northerly storms. The entrance channel runs South West
close along the Western breakwater for two thirds o'f its length
and then turns South East to that part of the harbour which
lies between the two spits.
. T ,° enter or leave the harbour with a North or North East
wind ow mg to th e swell is difficult, and with a strong wind from
l See .Chapter VH, paragraph (a), pages 357-60.
soff’s feh' factory An East India Company trading post. USSlan settlement with wharves, Customs houses, and Liono-
’ Enzali is a Persian town and trading quarter.
Numerous ferry boats ply between Qazian and Enzali.