Page 224 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

108 Part III.
110. It is foreign to the purpose of this precis oven to summarise the volu­
minous correspondence on these questions.
Bombay Political Deportment, Voluino 193 of 1H37.
AVo have only to note the final decision.
The Rod Sea route was finally adopted as the best one by the Parliamentary
Committee of 1831. The Persian Gulf route was proposed by the Bombay
Government as an alternative routo during the certain seasons.
117. The Secret Committee, however, negatived this proposal. The follow­
ing despatch of the Secret Committee, dated 31st March 1837, shows what their
views were :—
** AVe have received a letter from the Governor in Council at Bombay, dated the 1 Gth
December 183G, in which he informs us that he has taken measures for establishing a regular
communication between Bombay and this country in alternate months by Mohammcrah, Damas­
cus, and Bey rout, leaving the other alternate months open for any communication that may
be established by Ihn Rod Sea and Suez, and that, subject to your approbation, he has appointed
Mr. Hector, Agent for Dromedaries and Superintendent of the Mails through Syria on the
Hue between Mohammcrah and Damascus, on a salary of Its. 300 per month.
Tho Governor in Council also recommends that the Steam Packet from Malta should, in
tho alternate month, in which the Damascus route is used, touch at Bcyrout previously to
Alexandria, in order that the despatches from India might be forwarded with tho least prac­
ticable delay.
We do not concur in either of these proposals, and are happy to find by a letter from
Colonel Taylor at Baghdad, dated the 13th February last, that, ho had made arrangements for
carrying into effect tho former instructions of the Governor in Council at Bombay, in which
our letter of the first of December concurred, for establishing a lino of Dromedaries between
Bcyrout and Basrah, by authorising Mr. Barren to place relays between Bcyrout, Damascus
aud Hit, while he effected the same between Hit and Mohammcrah.”
US. The following despatch of the Secret Committco, 2nd Dccoraber 1837,
shows what furthor stops were taken :—
SRC BUT.
Dated Dust India House, Londou, tho 2nd December 1837.
Proin—Uox'bi.e J. It. Cauxac and Uon’dlb J. L. Lcsiiinotok,
To—Tho Itight Honourable the Goveruor.Ucucrnl of India in Council.
Tho Governor in Council at Bombay in letters which wo have recently received from them
have expressed considerable disappointment at the mails for India not having been forwarded
by the way of Beyrout and Ihc Persian Gulf, as well as by Alexandria and tho Bed Sea, and
has recommended to tho Court of Directors that during the unfavourable season for the line of
the Red Sea the mails for India should be forwarded to Beyrout aud the Persian Gulf.
2. You arc aware that in pursuance of an arrangement betwcou Her Majesty's
Government and tho Fast India Company, the mails for India have been, and are to be for­
warded monthly by the route of Alexandria and the Red Sea. This arrangement came into
operation on the 1st July last, and will account to you for no mails having been subsequently
forwarded by Bcyrout and the Persian Gulf, although duplicates of our despatches have bcou
transmitted by that route as well as by the Red Sea.
3. No alteration can be made in the arrangements which have been announced to you by
the Court except in concert with Her Majesty's Government and in pursuance of an instruction
which you will in such a case receive from the Court. In tho meantime wc hope that
measures will have been adopted on your part for the regular transmission of the mails at the
times which have been fixed.
4. You have already been supplied by the Court of Directors with tables of the dates at
which the steamers may be expected to reach Alexandria and Beyrout and the times fixed for
the departure cf the steamers with the return mails front India from those places. It will
therefore be in your power so to regulate the despatch of the mails from India as to ensuro
their arrival on or before the dates fixed for the departure of the steamer from Alexandria
for Malta and to ensure a degree of precision in the transmission of the mails which hitherto
haa been unattainable.
5. In regard to the Dromedary Post between Beyrout and the Persian Gulf, we arc of
opinion that its maintenance is of importance »s the inodium of a regular communication
between this country and Baghdad and also with Persia by that routo as well between India,
Baghdad and Persia by means of the cruisers, by regularly visiting the Persian Gulf to watch
the pirates. Tito times of the arrival and departure of these vessels might, in our opinion, ha
so regulated as to ensure the regular transmission of any despatches which may be tor warded
from India or Furopa by that route, and at little or no additional expense beyond tho amount
already necessarily incurred in the maintenance of your correspondence with Baghdad and
Persia.