Page 193 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

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CHAPTER X.
British Navigation Rights on the Euphrates and Tigris*

(i) Early British Navigation of the Rivers of Mesopotamia.
A British factory appears to have been established at Basrah as early as
1039-diO, sinco when East India Company’s merchant men frequently visited
that port. In 1GG1 a Treaty* was entered into botween Great Britain and
Turkey, of which the following clauses have a bearing upon tho rights claimed
by tho British lo free navigation on tho Mesopotamian rivers :—
** IV. All Enplish ships or vossols, small or great,.shall and may at any time safely and
securely conic and harbour in any of the seas and ports of our dominions, and likewiso may
from thcnco depart at their plcasuro, without detention or hindrance of any man/'

“ XXII. The English nation and all those that como under the banner of their vessels, small
and great, shall and may navigate, traffic, buy, self, and abide in all parts of our dominions,
and except arms, gunpowder and other such prohibited commodities, they may load and
carry away in their ships whatsoever of our merchandizes at their own pleasure without the
impeachment or troublo of any man, and their ships and vessels may come safely and securely
to anchor at all times, and tra ffic at alt limes in every part of our dominions, and with thoir
money buy victuals and all other things without any contradiction or hindrance of any man."
2. No permanent Agent appears to have been appointed at Basrah till tho
beginning of tho 18th century. When one was appointed about 1724 A.D., lie was
called Resident at Basrah and placed under the control of the Agent in Council
at Gombroon. In 1763 the Gombroon Agency in Council was transferred t.o
Basraln In 17^-3 a Native Agent was appointed at Baghdad to transact tho
East India Company’s business with tho Pasha, and forward intelligence and
packets to Basrah.
3. In 1798 a British Agent of the Company was permanently located at
Baghdad.
4i. There must have been considerable traffic between Basrah and Baghdad
to necessitate the establishment of a permanent Agency at Baghdad, as well as
Basrah. The river traffic was, it appears, carried on by means of country boats
owned or hired by the East India Company and British merchants, flying the
British flag.
6. In 1S10, the Basrah and Baghdad Agencies were consolidated and in 1812
the Agent in charge both the agencies was ordered to be called Political Agent
in Turkish Arabia, with liberty to reside either at Basrah or Baghdad as
occasion might require and with authority to depute his Assistant to either of
tho places.
G. In 1S31 the Secret Committee ordered that the Political Agent should fix
his residence chiefly at Baghdad. As yet the British merchant or naval ships do
not appear lo have gone up beyond Basrah or Kurna on the Sluit-cl-Arab, and
as tho incident mentioned below would show, country boats undor tho British
flag were used for journeying by the river.
7. In 1830 one Robert Baikie, Assistant Surgeon, Madras establishment,
while on his way from England to India, passed down the river Tigris to Basrah
in a boat belonging to the British Residency at Baghdad under tho British flag,
was detained in the way bv an Arab Sheikh and forced to pay a heavy duty for
his baggage, which he was not liable to pay under the Treaty. This formed
subject of a Memorial dated 13th March 1831, to the Bombay Government
claiming redress. A copy of this petition was sent to the Political Agent at
Baghdad, hut with what result it does not appear.
(ii) Ormsby’s Surveys of the Euphrates and Tigris, 1826—32.
S. In 182G—1S32 Lieutenant II. A. Ormsby of tho Indian navy was engaged
Bombay Political Department, Volume 4G3 of ill a SUlWey of tllC Coast of Syria, and of tllO
M3I.M. Mesopotamian rivers Tigris and Euphrates.
•AVf.—Thin is printed as Appendix A to (lie Turkish Arabia Tricis (16-16—16-16J nml as Appandix 1J to tho
■aioo i« printed tlio Treaty of 1075, In which the former is confirmed with nddiliout. The Treaty of 1070 it confirmed
in tho Treaty o! 1809 (5th January) A consolidated cditiouof loth the trcatica is printed as Apuondix No. 1 Turkish
Arabia to Aitehison's Treaties (IS'JQ) Vol, -V/.