Page 256 - Gulf Precis (VI)_Neat

230 Part III.

tho British Indian post office, tho Political Resident at Baghdad was specially
allowed by tho Government of India in
(Government Idler No. 301, ilntcd Dili March 1811.)
1841-, to levy cortaiu “postage" charges
for articles despatched by it, and to meet any deficit in receipts a monthly
allowance of Its. 200 was granfod for tho proper maintenance of the post.
251. In 1808 when tho Indian post office was opened at Baghdad tho con-
8titution of the line was as follows
Expen dit urc.
Its.
3 trips in the month from Baghdad to Damascus by dromedaries ... 420
Couriers from Damascus to Huy rout ... 40
Allowance to postal clerk at tho Ucsidoncy, Baghdad ... 29
439
Hales of Postage sanctioned by Government.
To England—
Letters 1 Dram 6 Piastres. ")
>* 0-1 1 24 Piastres arc equal to 1 Kraun.
u >>
» n >/ J-2^ Kraun to 1 Rupee
2 10 ,, | Subjoct to variatious ia exchange.
n
, 12^ „ 1 Kraun. J
To Damascus and Beyrout—
Letters 1 Dram 15 Piastres.
„ U „ 20 »
„ n „ 23
„ H „ 26 a
2 30
i>
Distances In miles.
Baghdad to Damascus ... 500
Damascus to Beyrout ... • •• 100
GOO
252. At this time (1868) Turkish Arabia was -wholly depondont for regular
communication with the outer world on English enterprise. Writing at the
time in reference to the post offices, which were thon under discussion, Sir
Arnold Kemball expressed himself as follows :—
“The English Damascus post is even more exceptional than the monthly messenger to
Tehran as providing the unique moans of corresponding directly with Syria (on the averago in
nine days), with Egypt (in thirteen or fourteen days), with England and Europe (rid Egypt
and Smyrna) in 21 to 27 days, and, prior to the establishment of a mail line between Bombay
and Basra, with India in 40 to 45 days when undertaken by my predecessor in 184-3-44.
253. Until 1381 the Baghdad-Damascus desert post was never interferred
with by the Ottoman authorities, but the continuation of the line, a distance of
100 miles from Damascus to Beyrout, attracted attention much earlier. In I860
the Governor of Syria at Damascus demanded, at the instance of the Ottoman
Postal authorities, that English mails should be Bent by the then newlv estab­
lished post lino between Damascus and Beyrout. On this subject in 1870
Colonel Ilcrbcrt, Consul-General, Baghdad, wrote:—
“ There seems to lc no wish on the part of the Ottoman authorities to attempt the task
of carrying the mails b'-tween this and Damascus the de*crt rout c offering great difficulty,
lint between that place and Bpyrout they have established Postal Service of which they are
dofirous of obliging us to avail ourselves.”
25*4. At this time tho Erench Consular mails between Damascus and Beyrout
were carried by the Ottoman Post Office© but the reason was that the latter
employed and subsidized the Erench Diligence. The British Consulate at
Damascus insisted upou maintaining its own communications with Beyrout for
the reason winch applies equally in other places at the present day, namely,
that the Ottoman post could not he relied upon.
255. Till the 1st April 1871, the Government of India contributed Bs. 200
Frontier a , March is7i. (No. 8) ]>< r mensem to the mnintoniinco of the
Dromedary po>t; but from that date, the
contribution lias been entirely discontinued. Tho reasons for the discontinu­
ance arc thus stated in a despatch to tho Secretary of State, No. 2 of the 1st
March 1S71 ([foreign Department Proceedings, Einancc A., March 1871,
No. 4):—
Wc have the honour to slato our opinion that Ibis line of communication docs notin any
way directly bcn-.-fit the Government of Iudia. The maintenance of tho present postal sorvico