ملاحظات أُعدت كمرجع خلال جولة كرزون في الخليج الفارسي، وأوراق أخرى عن بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٩] (٦٧٨/٢٧٨)

2
Karun river.
Bahren,
d
Recent events.
warehouses are on the right bank, while opposite to them are some empty Persian
barracks. The native town is about miles higher up the stream.
The Karun river is, commercially as well as strategically, one of the most
important highways in Southern Persia. Flowing as it does through a fertile grain
producing country, and navigable for a distance of over 100 miles to S bus tar by
river steamers, it is only the vexatious embargo on the export of grain imposed
by the Persian authorities which prevents its supplying a far larger quantity than
is at present the case. If it were ever necessary for us to send a force into
South-West Persia, the route gives facilities which no others possess and would
most certainly be made use of. Messrs. Lynch and Company of Baghdad run one
steamer, the Mai Amir, regularly between Muhammarah and Ahwaz, while, from
above the rapids at the latter place as far as Shustar, ply their small stern wheel
steamer, the Shushan, and another small boat, the Susa, owned by the local
chief Shekh Misak In case of necessity the whole of the steamers and barges
owned by Messrs. Lynch and Company could navigate the Karun as far as Ahwaz,
at which place supplies and transport could be easily collected. Details of the
steamers, etc., available for transport purposes are given on page 9.
The island of Bahren, to which attention was particularly directed by the
occurrences which took place last year, is about 30 miles long by 10 broad. For
the most part it lies very low, the only high ground being an extinct volcano in
the interior. The population is estimated at 120,000, of which the large towns
of Manameh and Maharak each contain 25,000 ; there are about 20,000 at Had, a
town to the east of and close to Maharak, with which it is connected at low water ;
and the remainder occupy El Bidia and the smaller villages scattered over the island.
All the large towns are at the north end of the island, and round them are ex
tensive date-groves. With the exception of these and lucerne grass for fodder
there is no cultivation of any sort. The majority of the population are engaged
in the pearl-fishing industry, and they are entirely dependent on outside for their
food supply. Rice is brought from India, wheat partly from India and partly
from Persian ports and, in addition to that imported for the consumption of the
inhabitants, large quantities are exported to the Arabian Coast. Rifles are also
imported from England in considerable numbers, the value amounting to about
a lakh of rupees a year. The monoply is at present in the hands of the
British Residency Agent, a Persian merchant. They are mostly, if not all,
Martini-Henry rifles and carbines, and are sold for about Rs. 100 apiece, nearly
all of them finding their way across to the coast.
A short account of recent events on and near the island may not be out of
place here, as a recurrence of trouble is at least possible. The Katr peninsula
to the east of the island is ruled by Shekh Jasim-bin-Thani, a rich and powerful
chief, who has with him a following of about 2,000 fighting men. Some few
years ago he was engaged in hostilities with the Turks, who have succeeded,
after some hard fighting, in establishing a garrison in the fort of El Bidia on the
eastern side of the peninsula, and reducing Jasim to nominal subjection. He
is now Kaimakam of the_ peninsula under the Turks, flies the Turkish flag,
and fears as much as he dislikes them. Jasim has an old standing feud with
Shekh Isa of Bahren, who is under British protection, and in all intrigues against
Bahren he has been strongly supported by the Bani Hajir Arabs of the & Hasa
Coast, the chief of whom is a cousin of Shekh Isa and has himself a claim to the
island. Among all these tribes Bahren is always looked upon as a rich prize, and
when that is the bait Jasim can always count on the assistance of the tribes on
the Hasa Coast, unless the Turks, to whom they are nominally subject, actively
interfere, which is of course in the highest degree improbable. These tribes can
muster altogether about 4,500 fighting men, which, with Jasim’s 2,000, would
give him altogether 6,500, but it is probable that the 4,500, which is the number
he is estimated to have collected last year, represents as large a force as he
is ever likely to bring together. Last year the Ali-bin-Ali tribe, which is one
of the largest sections of the Bahrenis, had a quarrel with their Shekh, a woman
being at the bottom of the affair. After several men had been’ killed on
both sides, the Alhbin-Ali migrated in a body to the main land and settled
under Shekh Jasim’s protection at the town of Zabara on the west coast of
the Katr peninsula. Jasim, acting there is little doubt at the instigation