'Volume I. MEMORANDA REGARDING PERSIA AND NORTH-WEST TRANS-FRONTIER. 1905.' [‎52v] (109/310)

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«13381 M in the Russian Consulate, and that
it was a thing that, as two Europeans, he
and Captain Haworth ought to be agreed
on. As, since Captain Haworth’s arrival,
M. Miller has consistently given “sanc
tuary”, and it was through some people
taking “ bast (Per.) A Persian custom allowing an individual to seek asylum at a designated location. ” with him that the Governor
of Pariz was transferred, it is evident
that he has an object in wishing Captain
Haworth to abstain from giving similar Fac
tion. Captain Haworth was aware that M.
Miller had caused considerable dissatisfaction
by this method of taking up such cases, and
judges from his present attitude that he must
have received orders on the subject.
23. Kishm Island.—According to His
Majesty’s Consul at bunder Abbas, a story has
been current at Bunder .Abbas and Eingah, to
the effect that the Russian Government have
obtained through the Moin-et-Tujjar from
the Shah (when His Majesty was in Europe)
a lease of the whole or part of Kishm Island.
r lhe following are said to be the particulars
of the transaction :—While the Shah was in
Europe the Russian Government convinced
him of the immense benefit likely to
accrue to him and his country from railways.
They promised to help him with the construc
tion of them, but retjuired some guarantee
for the expense; and, as the Customs of Persia
are mortgaged up to the hilt, they required
something else, and asked for the lease of some
port on the Gulf. The Shah apparently
thought that that was going a little too far, so
the Russians then suggested an island, and
selected Kishm. The story goes that, as the
Moin-et-Tujjar was also in Europe at the time,
the Russians had sounded him beforehand, so
that when the Shah came to consult him (as
at present he leases Kishm from the Persian
Government) there was no opposition on his
part, and the bargain was struck. This story,
xieutenant Shakespeare heard, substantially
the same at Lingah, at Kishm and at Bunder
Abbas, but at the latter place with the addition
that Kishm town is to be used as a Russian
Coal Dep6t, and that Kishm Island was the
price of another big loan, said to be roubles or
Rs. 2,700,000.
Nothing is known at Bushire as to the
truth of this story.
24. Quarantine .—In pursuance of the
scheme for improving the quarantine
arrangements in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. {vide Memo
randum for April, paragraph 29), specially
selected European Military Assistant Surgeons
have been posted at Mohammerab, Lingah,
Bunder Abbas, Bushire, and Jask.
Calcutta, C. SOMERS COCKS.
December 1905. J