'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎10r] (19/134)

IB
5. So long as the force remained a comparatively small one, the arrangements
cited above worked fairly satisfactorily, but with the advent of numerous re
inforcements, and the necessity for addition to stocks and reserves, the tonnage
of the port increased rapidly, and it has not been unusual to see 12 to 16 transports
in the river at the same time all discharging into country craft.
6. To alleviate the congestion at the existing jetties it was decided to build
more temporary jetties at Magill, 4 miles above the Ashar Creek (the centre of the
existing jetties), and Magill had moreover the advantage of such deep water close
to the bank, that the sea-going vessels were enabled to go alongside and discharge
direct on to the land, thus saving the delay caused by the use of country craft of
which there was only a limited number available.
7. It has not, however, been possible up to the present to make the fullest use
of Magill for the following reasons :—
(1) liability of ground to be flooded during the high water season ;
(2) lack of shed accommodation for stores and buildings for use of
personnel;
(3) temporary nature of jetties.
8. The Army Commander has now decided that the necessary accommodation .
is to be provided for the location of S. and T. and Ordnance Departments at Magill,
and from the pdnt of view of port work and administration, I beg to report as
follows :—
(A) Magill as the permanent port of Basrah.
T would observe that having given the matter much consideration, I have
formed the opinion that owing to its extensive deep water frontage, the whole
future of the Port of Basrah lies at Magill; any port works executed fin that locality
may be conveniently de signed to form integral portions of a future project, and
the Germans doubtless had this in mind when they located here the terminus o^
the Baghdad Railway, and built a small wharf.
(/j) Liability of ground to he flooded.
Bunds are under construction to keep out of a certain ajea the flood water
from the Euphrates, but I suggest that having regard to the permanency of the
work, it is desirable to reclaim the whole area to a level well above the highest
floods, I estimate.approximately that 10 cubic yards will be required for every
10,000 square yards of area, and I suggest that the quickest means of accom
plishing the work will be by running a light railway out into the desert and bring
ing in train loads of earth. I understand that labour is scarce and in that case
one or more Priestman Jral Excavators might be engaged, each of which have an
estimated out-put of 3 to 4 cubic yards a day.
(C) Buildings and Roads.
In the making of a port it is of importance that all buildings should be located
with the greatest care, as it is sometimes found that after buildings have been
erected they are in the wrong position, and interfere with roads, tramlines, etc., etc.
In the matter of communications 1 would suggest that it is of importance to 4
build some macadamized roads from the wharf to various points in the new depot.
I understand that there is practically no local stone available, but as until
recently the whole of the stone for the roads of Rangoon, in Burma, was obtain
ed from Bombay, there seems no reason why stone should not be imported to
Basrah from Karachi,
{D) General arrangement of wharves.
For permanent use as a commercial port the usual and best arrangement is
to have a continuous line of deep water wharves with roads and transit sheds
behind same, as shown in drawing No. 1 accompanying this note, the light draught
river steamers being accommodated below, but for the immediate military neces
sities 1 think it will be more suitable to provide detached berths for sea-going
vessels, with floating pontcon landing stages between the steamer berths foj: th^