It is wise before starting to see that the cook’s copper utensils are all tinned inside. A copper sponge-bath and wash-basin are needed. Plates and dishes all of tinned copper.
A few nails are required to nail up curtains, stop holes, etc.
APPENDIX D.
RUSSIAN GOODS VERSUS ENGLISH.
The Karūn River Route—The best means of reaching the Commercial Centres of Persia—Opinions of Experts—Wishes Of Merchants.
Colonel Bateman Champain, R.E., in a paper read before the Royal Geographical Society, January 15, 1883, after estimating the population of Persia at six millions, gives among the products of the country, “grains of all kinds, cotton, tobacco, silk, opium, fruits, dates, wool, hides, carpets, rugs, and an immense variety of the luxuries and necessaries of life. There is, on the other hand, a large demand for cloth, cotton fabrics, sugar, tea, coffee, and all the innumerable comforts called for by a moderately civilised community.” He then goes on to state, “that the great proportion of these articles are imported from or through Russia” and that “it is but too evident that Russian manufactures are steadily superseding British wares at Ispahan, and even in the Persian markets south of that centre.” Colonel Champain then proceeds to notice the various proposed means for reaching the commercial centres of Persia; and after pointing out their disadvantages, draws the attention of the Society to the proposed route viâ the Karūn River.
General Sir F. Goldsmid, after corroborating the statements of Colonel Champain as to the roads, spoke of railways in the future through Persia, particularly a complete railway between England and India; said that “failing the project of the great Indian railway, which could not be carried out for many years, nothing could be better than the proposed communication, partly by water and partly by road, viâ Ahwaz to Ispahan and Teheran” (the Karūn River route).
Mr. G. S. Mackenzie, after some prefatory remarks, recounted how he started from Mohammera (to which place goods may be taken by ocean steamers), on the 27th July, 1878, in the steamer Karūn of 120 tons, built for Hadji Jabar Khan, Governor of Mohammera, at a cost of 6000l.; in twenty-three hours Mr. Mackenzie arrived at Ahwaz, without the steamer either bumping or grounding, and he ascertained that at the lowest season the river is navigable. At Ahwaz the river is blocked by rapids for about 1100 yards as the crow flies, but (a canal or) a tramway of some 1600 yards would reach the open portion of the river; thence Captain Selby, in the Indian steamer Assyria, succeeded in ascending to within five miles of Shuster (and also he steamed up the Diz River to within one mile of Dizful). From Shuster to Ispahan is 266 miles, or twelve ordinary mule stages.
The time taken by goods in reaching Ispahan from Mohammera by river is,