Page 201 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

Chapter X. 175

Ruffrranco be it allowed yet it is still supreme) on the wafcors oC Mesopotamia. If it bo one
lowered, another ling will replace it, and wo shall then he excluded from the navigation of the
Tigris and tho Enphnraies, as wo hnvo boon shut out of the Danube, and as we arc threatened
with exclusion from the Nile.
*
35. Sir n. Rawlinson also submitted a statement showing bow the
yitocris was employed since tho breaking up of the flotilla, from which tho
following extract is taken :—
Left Baghdad for Basrah with Gommandor Lynch, and tho papers, charts, etc., connected
with the late Flotilla, and a packet for the Resident
Ifil?.
November 13. at Bus hire a'id Post Master Gcnoral at Bombay,
communicated with the Chief Sheikh of the largo
tribe of Beni Lam Arabs, arrived at Basrah on November 20th, communicated with the II. C.
Schooner Emily, and received stores from the Baghdad Residency.
Left Basrah for Baghdad with a packet and a native officer of tho Basrah Residency ;
, , arrived at Baghdad December lltli, 184-2.
ecom cr r . Conveyed to Baghdad at the request of Colonel
Robortsoo one servant of Mr. Cotsey, his wife, etc., and at tho request of the Governor of
Basrah one Turkish officer.
Left Baghdad for Basrah with Ilis Lordship tho Bish of Malabar and Canara passenger
for Bombay and a packet for Bombay and Bnsbire,
1843. arrived at Basrah on the 13th January and left for
January lOlb.
Baghdad on the 18th ; arrived at Baghdad aud
landed tho packet on the 23rd January. The Commander visited the rccontly captured City
of Korbella and forwarded a plan of it, this Colonel Taylor, to Ilis Excellency Sir S. Canning,
Ambassador at Porte. Conveyed to Basrah a Turkish officer and to Baghdad 2, Turkish officers,
ono Turkish soldier and an Arab. Ilis Excellency Ahmed Pasha of Sulcraanich visited the
vessel under a salute.
36. We can judge of the multifarious duties on which the Nitocria was
employed from the above short extract in which wo fiud it—
(a) carrying packets from Baghdad to Basrah and back, on which duty
it was generally engaged ;
([b) conveying Residency officers and their families ;
(c) conveying Turkish officers ;
(t/) convoying a Bishop on his way to India ; and
(e) survey work.
27. On April 2nd, lSd-6, tho Nilosris left Baghdad northwards as reported
in Sir H. llawlinson’s letter to tho Bom­
Bombay Political Volume 1780 of 181G.
bay Government, dated 1st April 1816,
with the following instructions from him to Captain Felix Jones :—
“ I do not consider it necessary to furnish you with any detailed instructions as to your
proceedings on the upper Tigris, but it may be advisablo to inform you that the object
which 1 have in view, in directing you to attempt the assent of the river is of the same general
character as that which is attained by your monthly passage between Baghdad and Basrah.
The right of navigating fhc rivers of Mesopotamia by vessels of war having been con:cdcdto
us by a special Firman from the Porto, il is desirable to retain that right in active exercise
ichcrcver there may be sufficient water fur the steam vessel which bears our fag. In a political
point of view indeed it must be of more coiiBcquenco to show the British flag occasionally at
Mosul that at. Basrah, for at the latter port the immediate vicinity of our squadron in tho
Persian Gulf must always securo for us a due share of consideration which the remoteness of
the former place causing our influenco to be partially and indirectly felt has frequently led
to our interests being disregarded as well by the local authorities as by other classes of tho
community. You will understand therefore that the higher you ascend the river the better,
and that if you should succeed iu steaming your vessel as far as tho town of Mosul you will
achieve an object of considerable importance. As I wish indeed that tho present ascent of
the river should bo definitely condectod with the place, I think it would be advisable in the
event of your being debarred by want of water or other obstacles from anchoring your vessel
at the Mosul bridge, that you should at any rate proceed in person to tho city, thereby leading
the inhabitants to bolieve that tho stoamor is iu their immediate neighbourhood. Upon
this, however, as well as upon all minor mattors, 1 may safely confide upon your own tried
discretion.
Yon will alto, oj course, cultivate a friendly interourse with the Chiefs rf the Obeid,
Aztah Tt/e, and Shammer tribes, and although I oannot authorize a lavish expenditure of
presents to such parties, I hope to obtain the sanotion of Government to a certain excess over
•your average disbursement on this head, in order to rneot the exigencies of the oocasion.