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the attainment of it wa9 the doubtful point, & the more doubtful, not only
because of tho extreeme indispositiou & aversion in the porte to it, but
because of its boing in itself a new establishment never practis’d by us before
at Bassora, & an Innovation iu the Eye of the porte. In spite however I have
succeeded ; again I congratulate you upon it & may tho Company long enjoy
tho Bruits of my Success; This Birat together with the G : Signiors Com­
mandment attending it as likewis the Consulary patent or Commission from
myself issued under the Loyal of the Embassy, & all tho necessary Trans­
lations I have now tho satisfaction of transmitting to You, under the Address,
Direction & Care of MJL. Consul Kinlack at Aleppo, to whom I have parti­
cularly recommended it, to find some safe, trusty, & speedy means of con­
veyance to You; The safe arrival of all I shall be glad to hear of in due
time; & shall depend upon You for giving me that Welcome Intelligence by
the first Opportunity that olfers afterwards. I think it necessary to inform
You that the Consulary Birat & all the Documents belonging to it run in the
Name of Bobert Garden; The notice of your actual arrival at Bassora, came
to my knowledge to a late to admit of any alteration in the Birat, at that
time but just issued at the porte; an alteration of that kind so immediate
& so sudden, the porte is not us’d to; & indeed it is look’d upon here that
6uch an alteration is not very necessary at all ; Tho porte attends not much
to Christian Names; The Imperial Birat of Consul, once granted by the
Grand Sultan is look’d upon by the porte as an Establishment of Consul for
ever, not confiu’d to one particular name, or one particular person, but com­
prehensive equally of the Successor, for form sake it is usual as often as the
Consul is chang’d, & the renewal costs but little at the Porte; The present
Birat therefore may be renewed in your own name, & without Difficulty, some
little Time hence; it is prudent to let 5 or 6 Months elapse first: for to
Sollioit a renewal in any other Name New; almost in the Hour of its first
Issuing, wou’d serve but to alarm the porte, & revive their Jealousy’s, wou’d
occasion probably fresh difficultys, certainly fresh Expence: I shall therefore
suspend my applications at the porte on this Subject for some time, or at least
till such time as I hear from the Court of Directors upon this matter, or
till I came to learn from yourself the necessity of a more early & speedy
application.
In the mean time I have only to wish a safe & speedy conveyance of this
to Your Hands: I am the more anxious in my wish, because I look upon it
that the peicea from the porte are particularly necessary for the Companys
Service in the present juncture & amidst the present Widnesses which prevail at
Bassora ; Where We learn the Mussaleem is upon the point of declaring him­
self in open rebellion against the Pacha ; no longer obeys his Orders; Seizes
& plunders without rendering any AooJL to Bagdat; remitts no part of the
revenues; raises Troops, repairs Fortification & seems to throw off the veil*
without reserve.
So disturb’d a Scene will I fear expose the Company’s Affairs & indeed
all affairs at Bassora to the Danger of fresh Embroils: but I shall continue to
give my best care & Attention to whatever may still affect the Companys
Affairs there, & shall be ready to interp ose all my influence & good offices at
the porte for their Servioe, if unfortunately any further interposition of mine
shall he found necessary there.
2578 F. D.