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still ft channel for Uio water of tlio Euphrates. When Sheikh Salman also obtained
the lands from Suleiman Pasha they wore in tho samo condition; for his
dam across, tho Knroon had again checked the force of the western branch
of tho river and tho Euphrates accordingly again disembogued a part of its
water by tho Bamishir channel, irrigating II altar and Mohammerah as it
passed thorn. But since tho last destruction of the dam of the ICnroon and
Atprcwntnwin* looUncciin the comtm of the accordingly from a period long anterior
river.lt belong* geographically lo Kliwziatan to {Jjq foundation of MlO present town
of Mohammerah, it must he evident that according to the old basis of distribu­
tion, tho lands being watered by the Karoon, which has a second time appropriated
to its own stream tho bed of tho llaflar, must belong geographically to Persia.
I know not upon what grounds Persia claims the left hank of the Shat-ol-
Arab, unless, indeed, it ho that tho lands were at one time occupied by the
Chaab, whom slio regards ns her subjects. The right of Turkey politically and
geographically to all the country which is dependent for its cultivation on the
water of tho Shat-cl-Arab, is, 1 think, unquestionable.
Tho frontier between the two Empires ought to he defined, according to
sk.tcb of tho frontier.. it .honid bo dr.wn in *cnn* geographical precedent, by a line drawn
formiiy with tbo basts of Uio old distii.ctum bctweou longlliways through tlio island of Abadan
ink-i-Anb *ud Kbautuo. from the sea on its soutliern side to its
north-western point and then from the angle on the right hank of the Haffar
canal formed by the junction of that stream with the Shat-el-Arab midway
between the two rivers to tlio desert from whence it would run up, along tlio old
boundary parallel to the river, and at a distance of some six or seven milos from
its banks passing between two ruined land marks called the Kooshk-i-Ujura and
Thcie lard mark* twin tho deaert about 7 miles KoOSllk’i-BuSSOrall aild proceeding on to tho
Berth by cut of Mutsorab. villago of the Sowaih upon the Kerkua.
Above this point the determination of tho line if contested, would ho attended
with great difficulty, for the whole of tho country, inhabited at present by the
Beni Lam is within tho geographical limits of Khuzistan, while on tho other
hand, at the timo of Sultan Murad’s treaty, Howeizah is said to have paid
tribute to Bussorali, but fortunately these questions are not subject of dispute.
The line which I have thus marked in accordance with what ap-
Gircs to Tnrkry all Uic lands on tbo Shat-cl-Arab pears to l)C strict geographical prO-
ani lo rcr»ia*.Mobauimc.-al>. pr»ety, lias a due regard, I think, to the
claims both of Turkey and Persia. Turkey, indeed, on the grounds of
the alleged dependency upon Bussorali of the Pashas of Guhan, claims
the dry bed of the eastern branch of the Knroon, as her boundary in that direc­
tion, and she desires to draw a liuc from tho point of division of that channel
from the Karoon, where tho ruins are still to he seen of the Sheikh Salman’s
dam, directly across to tho land marks of Kooslik-i-Ujum and Kooshk-i-Busso-
rali. The entire tract, however, between the old Guban river and tbo immediate
vicinity of ilio hanks of the Shut-el-Arab is a desort and hardly worth disputing.
The only valuable professions which she would loso in confining herself to tho
frontier which I have traced, would be the lands along both hanks of tho ITaffar
canal where the double town of Mohammerah is now situated, but to these lands
she cannot advance nnv valid geographical claim, aud for many years they
have been practically lost to her.

Modern History of Mohammerah.

I propose to conclude my memorandum with a few observatioos on the
modern history of Mohammerah.
Modern bhtory of Mobomiucruh.
The town as I liavo stated, was built in about A. D. 1812, by Mcerdow
Doiiding ot two f.,t. of H.u.no.r.h „d “ndlli,8 son Hojee Toossoof, according to
Eoot-ei-siieikii. the orders of Sheikh Gliais, at the time
when the Chaab, withdrew before tho Montefik from tho left hank of the Shat.
The original construction was a mere petty fort in either side of the Halfar
canal, which at this point is about 150 yards across.
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