Political No. 23 of 1874, Forwarding a Copy of Papers Relating to the Projected Exploration of the Persian Gulf by a British Company to be Established for the Purpose of Pearl Fishing [‎260r] (7/20)

lie outside of wliat is internationally known as territorial water, so that in point
of fact if the question should come to be argued upon the basis of territorial
or extra territorial waters, the Arab tribes would at once lose their claim to
almost all their most valuable hanks.
9. But it may be contended that the memorialists would confine their
divings to the mid channel of the Gulf, that is to say, to a minimum depth of
21 to 28 fathoms ; and what the result of divings in this channel would be
upon the shallower hanks I am not prepared to say, although I have frequently
heard it remarked that the pearl oysters (which are not attached to the rock,
hut which wash freely about over the sandy bottoms) do migrate from shal
lower to deeper waters and vice versa.
10. On the whole among the consequences which we might expect from
acceding to the request of the memorialists would he the following:—
1st .—That the memorialists would he followed by other diving steamers.
2nd .—That there would be a sudden development and disturbance of the
pearl market.
3rd .—That sooner or later the seven and nine fathom banks far out at sea
would he intruded on.
1th .—That great discontent would he created amongst the Arab tribes of
the littoral, who would consider the breach of their monopoly as
an act of had faith on our part.
5th .—That should the hanks become exhausted the main and almost sole
industrial pursuit of the Arab tribes would be lost to them, and
that they would then return to their old predatory and piratical
habits.
11. On the whole, therefore, I am of opinion that our political and general
interests in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. point to a discouragement of any intrusion on
the Arab pearl banks.
12. At the same time it is easy to foresee that a day may arrive when
some adventurers, steaming perhaps under an American or a Bussian flag,
may insist on their right to fish for pearls in a sea which they would declare
to be internationally not mare clausum. In such event we should have either
to uphold the spirit of our trucial engagements, or else to retire as we have
done from other Treaty engagements.
13. In this minute I have not wandered into the question of the pearl
fisheries on the Persian Coast, although round the Islands of Karack and at
other points there are fine and comparatively unexplored pearl fisheries. We
are not bound to Persia in respect to these fisheries; while Persia herself,
although not possessing a stick afloat, supposes herself sufficiently powerful
to protect her own interests. If intruders are to arrive, let them arrange their
claims with Persia.
14. Pinally, the question practically considered is one of time and degree;
my advice is that Government stave off the evil day so long as may be prac
ticable without losing sight of the fact that our dominant position in the
Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. is open to challenge.
P.$.—The documents received with your instruction to report are returned
by to-day’s post under a separate cover.
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