"تقارير إدارية ١٩٠٥-١٩١٠" [و‎‎١‎١‎٩] (٦١٦/٢٤٢)

AND THE MASKAT POLITICAL AGENCY FOE THE YEAR 1907-1908.
47
that unless ^ewas apprised of tiie Persian Goverment's approval he would
have to oppose the building of tlie shed ; the latter he took to task for leasing
^ Europeans As the matter was in the hands of His Majestv's Consul
at Muhammerah this Vice-Consulate took no action in regard to it.
^f 1 / iLl spring nptico was received hy His Britannic Majesty's Vice-
+1 f lr f+ C r ^ m , ^ a i es ^ v s ^ je § a ^ on designs were approved,
that any attempt at interference by the Persian Government would not be
tolerated, and that Messrs. Lynch Brothers should be urged to proceed with
! S P::fr ib !" e The of the latter throughout ha. been
very hesitating, but shortly before the close of the period under review their
Agent here received instructions to proceed with the work.
Owing to an untimely and excessive rise in the river the site has been
under water and it lias been impossible to commence operations.
Messrs. Lynch Brothers' affairs with the Bakhtiaris have been carried on
entirely through the medium of this Vice-C. nsulate, and detailed mention of
tnem has already been made.
70. The BahUiari Road, —Certain, but inadequate, repairs were executed
on the road during the year by tbe orders of the Khans, and the road has
remained practicable. In autumn a diversion of some two miles to avoid a
toad piece of landslip was being constructed above Shalil.
^ j T 0 ll 011 brid ^ es were repainted and overhauled by an engineer
despatched by Messrs. Lynch Brothers in September. The downward passage
desirable ' P revented a11 the work being done which was
By an unfortunate misunderstanding the engineer was despatched without
time being given to approach the Khans on the subjtct, and extract their
consent. As soon as notice of his intended despatch was received reference
was made to the Khans, but it turned out that the engineer was by that time
already engaged on the work. Immediately afterwards it fell to discuss the
cla;ms for expenses incurred in repairing the bridges in former years, and the
objection which the Khans put forward most strongly was the alleged fact
ot the repairs executed in 1904 having been undertaken without their beinf
consulted. 0
71. On the present occasion the engineer discovered serious defects in the
torm ot cracks in the masonry of the bridges. It is understood that Messrs,
liyncn .Brothers are having iron bands made in England to be affixed on the
damaged piers, but no formal reference on the subject has reached the Vice-
Consulate either from the Company or from the Government.
It has therefore been impossible to represent the matter to the Khans.
^ geil<3 y opened at Dehkurd in the beginning of 1907, was visited
by ,6 v ice-Consul in June, when it was gathered that it was not at all in a
nourishing condition, owing apparently to the failure of Messrs. Lynch
Brothers to place goods on the market at the prices equal to, or lower than,
those locally current.
Further the strong religious party in the place had shown hostility, the
Company s agents at Ispahan and Deh Kurd had not been at one, and the
acting agent at Ahwaz did not believe in the feasibility of the scheme.
. TS- The Concessions {Oil) Syndicate. —A strenuous activity was main-
timed throughout the year by the Syndicate, but without any happy
result.
C0ns e { l u ence of the adverse opinions as to the hopes of success expressed
by the local General Manager, Mr. Reynolds, a geological expert, was sent out
trom England in December, and on the strength of his reports the borings
at Mamatain and Shardin, which had reached depths of some 2,200 and 1,900
feet, respectively, were stopped, and the bulk of the staff were transferred to
re-enforoe those employed at Maidan Munaftun. Here two borings are in
course of progress, the first of which was begun in the end of January. By
the end of March these borings bad been carried down to about 600 and 200 feet
respectively. Mr. Eeynolds is now entirely pessimistic as to the prospects