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Thevo were 12 boats anchored in the creek when I visited the place which,
had lately disembarked thoir cargoes. A
Slam of trade.
Turkish brig of war lies oil* the Haffar’s
canal, with the avowed object of preventing the boats which enter the Sliat-el*
Arab laden with Indian goods, from turning into that channel, but the
obstructions is easily evaded. Tho boats bound for Mohammernh no^v either
sail up the Bamishir river, instead of the Shat or if they draw too much water
to admit of their passing tho har at tho mouth of the former river, they land
thoir cargoes on tho island of Abadan, a few miles below tho mouth of the
HntTar canal, and then passing the Turkish gunrdship empty, the anchor oil
Mohammerah and bring their goods across by land.
Mohammerah has thriven being a free port, and it has owed this advantage
nithort.»froo port. to the uncertainty of its dependency. If
rroknwiity ot losing thinmivnutago on tho Turkish authority were acknowledged, tho
meat of tlio di*j»ute at jircici.t pending. import duties WOllld of COUrSC be put
at once on a par with those of Bussorah. If, on the other hand, tho power of
Persia were sufficiently established to disregard conciliation, I imagine that an
attempt would bo made to institute a tariff similar to that in operation at
Bushiro and Bunder Abbas. Mohammerah would in either event assuredly de­
cline, for in Arab estimation it has no natural advantages that I am aware of
superior to those of Bussorah. Sheikh Jaabir no doubt is sensible of this, and
his anxiety for the prosperity of his town is thus equally interested with his
own personal ambition in protracting a settlement of the question. His pre-
dominent feeling, however, at present is hostility to Sheikh Thamir, and his
family, and as blood has now been shed between them, it will be in vain, I
think, to look for permanency in any arrangement that shall make Mohammer­
ah subordinate to Chaab, or even shall include the two divisious of the tribe
under the same Government.
I have only to observe in conclusion that there are present independent of
the island of Abadan 12 places inhabited by the Chaab north of the HafTar
canal, which are in dispute between Persia and Turkey, of these, Mohammerah
and Hoozan belong to Sheikh Jaabir and are at present dependent upon Persia
that power however deriving no pecuniary benefit from them at all commen­
surate with tho value of her protection Boojidee and Kootal Nawasir pay their
revenues to the Bawa Arabs, who consider themselves subjects of the Persian
crown, either as dependents upon Dezful upon Uoweizali or upon Pellaliiah.
An Tamar El Jadeod, Kkomcisah, Shakhoora, Nabr Toossoof, Darband.
El Kliagin and El iiaffar arc under the immediate surveillance of the Chief
of Koot-el-Sheikli, acting as the deputy of the Sheikh of Fellahiah, and are
subject to the payment of 300 tons of dates yearly for land rent to the Gov­
ernment of Bussorah.
"With the exception of occasional presents from Sheikh Jaabir, the Persian
crown derives no revenue whatever either in money in kind, or in military
attendance from any of these disputed lands, and it can therefore be of little
consequence to her, that the line of frontier which I have traced in a previous
paragraph, while it secures to her, Koot-el-Sheikli on tho southern, and Mo-
hammeruli and Hoffar on the northern side of the canal, restores to Turkey all
the other lands both in the island of Abadan and on the banks of the Shat-el-
Amb above Hail'ar, which are cultivated by the Chaab.

Baghdad Residency; (Sd.) H. RAWLINSON,
The 6lh January 1844. } Political Aycnt, Turkish Arabia.

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