'SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS AND MEASURES OF THE VICEROYALTY OF HIS EXCELLENCY LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON, VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA IN THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT. I. JANUARY 1899-APRIL 1904. II. DECEMBER 1904-NOVEMBER 1905. VOLUME IV. PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN GULF.' [‎35r] (74/386)

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Maskat. In 1901 Major Burton, Vice-Consul at Maliammerah, traced the
course of the Jerald river in Arabistan and investigated the geography of the
1'ellahieh district and the nature of the principal land-approaches to Khor Musa.
In 1905 an important tour was made by Major Cox, now Resident in the Persian
Gulf, through the Zaitun, Behbehan and Hindian districts of Persia at the
head of the Gulf ; it added greatly to what was known of the country and an
accurate survey was obtained of the course of the Hindian river ; moreover,
being continued to Khor Musa, it enabled Major Cox to cast fresh light on
the relations of that important inlet with the Karun River and the Bahmeshir.
The impulse towards discovery still continuing after Lord Curzon’s final depar
ture from India, Major Cox made a trip across the Oman promontory from
Ras-el-Kheimah to Sohar, in the course of which the position of the Baraimi
oasis was for the first time astronomically determined, and a quantity of new
topographical data were obtained ; Captain Knox also, the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
at Koweit, succeeded in reaching Ilafar, an important point in the interior of
Arabia which though mentioned by previous European travellers had not been
reached by any of them. Between 1903 and 1905 the geography of many
large and almost unknown tracts of Eastern Arabia was successfully elucidated
by the local political officers by means of native information, the largest shares in
this work being taken by Major Cox and by Captain Prideaux, the Political
Agent in Bahrein. The mineralogical and geological branches of exploration
also received due attention. The coal seams in the hinterland of.Sur in Oman
were examined in 1901 by Drs. von Krafft and Oldham of the Indian Geological
Survey, while in 1904-05 Mr. Pilgrim of the same department was employed
to conduct a general geological reconnaissance on both sides of the Gulf,
as well as a closer examination of certain localities where the existence of
minerals was suspected. The prehistoric tumuli of Bahrein were brought to
the notice of the Archaeological Department of the Government of India in
1904 and arrangements have now been made for excavating some of the
mounds, besides which a cursory inspection has been carried out through native
agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of the ancient sites near Ganawa on the Persian Coast.
Before we pass to the local history of the territorial divisions of the Gulf,
and to the policy of the British and Indian Governments in each, two remaining
topics of general importance claim our attention,—that of the pearl fisheries
and that of the arms trade.
The pearl fisheries on the Arabian side of the Gulf are the chief source of
livelihood of the inhabitants of the littoral, and on the Persian coast also they arc
a valuable asset of the popular wealth. The economic importance of the fisheries
may bo gauged by the value of their
Pearl fisheries. annual output which in 1904*05 exceeded
£1 000,0^0 sterling. Since 1853, when the British Government assumed
responsibility for the maintenance of the maritime peace in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
the protection of the Arab interest in the fisheries has been generally regarded
as devolving on Great Britain ; and this obligation the British Government have
not neglected to fulfil by opposing, hitherto with success, the intrusion of foreign
speculators equipped with modern appliances upon the native industry. Various
projects of British Indian subjects for engaging in the pearl fisheries with im
proved apparatus were discountenanced or prevented by the British authorities
in the Gulf between 1900 and 1902 and had no results. In 1899 there were
reports that the Turkish Government had been approached by European pro
jectors with proposals for pearl fishing concessions in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; and in
1900, the negotiations having then assumed a more definite shape, the Porte
were*warned of the possession of prescriptive rights, in regard to the Arabian
fisheries, by the littoral Arabs whose chiefs had entered into special arrange
ments with the Government of India. In 1901 it was definitely stated that a
German syndicate were treating for a monopoly of the pearl fisheries on the
Ottoman shores of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the British Ambassador at Constanti
nople was again instructed to refer to the moral obligation under which Britain
lay to protect the rights of the Trucial Chiefs in the matter; the Turkish
Minister promised to take note of the Ambassador’s remarks and nothing further
was heard of the syndicate. The question of the international status of the