"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎٢‎٤‎٠‎٥] (١٢٦٢/٩٢٢)

2405
Construction of an alternative land line througli Persia^ 1862-64.
It is now necessary to revert to a period immediately preceding the Negotiations
extension of the Turkish line from Baghdad to the Gulf. The desira- with the
bility of a double connection between the Persian Gulf cable and P er8 i an
Baghdad had been foreseen ; and negotiations with the aim of providing
an auxiliary land line through Persia were set on foot in 1861^ but at
first remained unsuccessful. In May 186^ Colonel P. Stewart^ already
mentioned; who was now in charge of the whole Indo-European scheme
in so far as it depended on the British Government^ arrived at Tehran to
assist in the discussions; and^ though nothing was settled during his
visit to the Persian capital^ which lasted only a month, a report by him
gave clearness and force to the project of duplication. The most serious
obstacle was the attitude of the Persian Government^ who at one time
appeared disposed to support the scheme, but early in 1862 began to
vacillate and to exhibit, probably under Russian influence, a preference
for a line to run from Tehran to .Easht and be connected with the tele
graphic system of European Russia. The British Legation at Tehran
did not however relax their efforts; and in December 1862, Mr. Eastwick
was successful in obtaining a draft convention which provided for the
construction of a line from Bushehr via Tehran to Khanaqm on the
Turkish frontier.
The arrangement thus reached was embodied in a formal engagement, Anglo-
which was accepted by the British Government on the 6th of February Persian
1863. The chief provisions of this document were that the line in Agreement
question should be constructed without delay by the British on behalf ^^and rUC
of the Persian Government; that the British Government should be management,
entitled to make use of the line through the Persian Telegraph officers 6tli Febrnary
on payment of the ordinary rates; that the materials required to be 18^3.
imported should be supplied by the British to the Persian Government
at reasonable prices; that the new line should be placed under the superin
tendence of a British Engineer officer to be paid by the British Govern
ment ; and that the Persian authorities should assist in the work of
construction by supplying such materials as were locally available. The
engagement also included certain stipulations of which the object was to
give tho Persian Government a voice in matters of expenditure and
account. The materials purchased in England were to be paid for by
the Persian Government within a period of 5 years, reckoned frcm the
date of delivery at the Persian frontier, by annual instalments.
Preparations were immediately made for the despatch from England Field
^ the stores to be imported, and for the collection in Persia of the
materials locally obtainable, chiefly timber. The distance fron Khanaqm " '
Tehran to Bushehr was estimated at 1,10^ miles and materials were
in the first instance provided for a single line 1,200 miles in length.
The operations were placed in charge of Lieutenant Champain, R.E.,
assisted by a staff of civilian experts and of officers, non-commissioned
0 fficers and men of the Royal Engineers; Lieutenant Champain received