‏"ملخص الأحداث والتدابير الرئيسية التي اتخذها سمو نائب الملك اللورد كرزون من كيدلستون، نائب الملك والحاكم العام للهند في إدارة الخارجية. ‏I‏. يناير ١٨٩٩-أبريل ١٩٠٤. ‏II‏. ديسمبر ١٩٠٤-نوفمبر ١٩٠٥. المجلد IV. بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي." [ظ‎‎١‎٣‎٤] (٣٨٦/٢٧٣)

10
5
No. 92 (Secret—External), dated Simla, tlie 29th May 1902.
From—The Government of Iniia in the Foreign Department,
To—The Right Hon’ble Lord George F. Hamilton, His Mijesty’s Secretary of
State for India.
We have the honour to forward, for the information, of His Majesty’s
Government, a copy of the e irrespanlenae mirk^l in thi accompanying list,
regarding the possible formation of a British traliiag settlement at Bassidore in
the Persian Gulf.
2. The circumstances connected with the British occupation of Bassidore
are already known to Your Lordship (see the Viceroy’s telegram, dated
the 18th March 1899). Tiie settlement dates from 1820; but our occupation
has for many years been indicated only by the presence of a native coal agent,
who, however, has habitually flown the British flag. We have been unable
to ascertain from our records the exact limits of the tract which was granted
to the British Government by the Sultan of Maskat in 1820; but, as a result
of communication with our Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, we have
decided provisionally that, whatever may have been the limits of the original
grant, our jurisdiction must for the present be confined to the area over
which the Persian authorities have exercised no control. This area is plainly
indicated in the tracing attached to Colonel KembalTs letter No. 38, dated the
23rd February 1902, to which we invite Your Lordship’s attention.
3. In consequence of action which hos recently been taken at Lingah
by the Persian Customs administration, certain British Indian merchants, who
have business connections with the Arab coast, have shown a disposition to form
a trading settlement at Bassidore. Colonel Kemball has not been instructed to
give active encouragement to this enterprise, since we desire, before authorising
officially the re-establishment of a British settlement (though in a British area)
on a Persian island, to ascertain the Views of His Majesty’s Government in the
matter. The tract marked by Colonel Kemball as available for British
occupation is of no great extent, and, should there be a prospect of the place
becoming an important commercial entrepot, it might be desirable to extend
our claims so as to coyer the site of the old Portuguese settlement, which we
understand included Nakhistan and Kalat Haji Karim. We should be glad,
therefore, if, in conveying the views of His Majesty’s Government on the general
question, Your Lordship would further favour us with any observations as to
the possibility of establishing a claim to an area larger than that which we have
provisionally reserved.
6
Memorandum by Sir T. Sanderson.
Foreign Office ;
J4:t}i July 1902.
(Confidential.)
A meeting took place at the Foreign Office on the 10th July to discuss
te \arious questions which had recently been raised in letters from the India
Once ^ith regard to the occupation of Kishm and adjacent islands in the
event ot Russian encroachment in the Persian Gulf, and the course to be
pursued with regard to the British station at Bassidore on the island of
Kishm.
There were present :—
On behaif of the India Office—
Sir W. Lee-Warner.
On behalf of the Admiralty—
Rear-Admiral Custance, Director of Naval Intelligence.