'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎18v] (36/134)

32
For the last few miles, the Mezlik channel is so shallow and tortuous that
a'great deal of work would be necessary to render it navigable in the low-water
season for vessels of three feet draft whereas the Haquikah, which I also inspected
personally, is a fine straight fairly deep channel throughout.
I also explored the Umm Nakalah channel which takes off from the Mezlik
and flows into the lakes and swamps south of the Hammar Lake.
This channel is really the Euphrates' new bed and appears to carry more
water than any of the others, but gets exceedingly tortuous and narrow as the
outlet is reached.
(12) Having inspected all the channels I propose to make the cut from
Chabaish to the mouth of the Haquikah and one dredger of a suitable .type is at
present en route from Burma, tl^e cutting of the channel will be a tedious task
and I fear it will not be possible to do more than 3 miles per month at the
Utmost. A survey is required before the exact line can be decided upon and if
for military purposes great importance is attached to the work a second dredger
of similar size could possibly be obtained from Burma but before coming to con
clusion on the subject I should like to discuss the situation with the dredging master
of the vessel which I hope will arrive in Basra shortly as the entire proposition
is a novel one.
Summary,
(13) To sum up I do not think that any heroic engineering works are required
either on the Tigris or Euphrates to improve navigation temporarily for military
purposes, but any permanent scheme of river conservancy works will require
more extensive surveys and study than it is possible to give at the present time.
If I can get men and appliances I have every hope of getting a greatly improved
channel between Qurnah and Amarah in the low-water season and also have the
cutting across the Hammar Lake well in hand. What is principally required is
organisation and concentration of energy in proper places; in short to use an Indian
colloquialism " a good bandobast."
(14) There is a great deal more survey work to do than I was led to expect
and I have sent a requisition to India for more surveying instruments and for
another surveyor. I would emphasise the fact that in hydraulic engineering,
surveys are allrimportant, as the position of a dredged channel on a river like the
Tigris has to be selected with great care after the survey has been made.
(15) As I shall have three survey parties at work simultaneously I shall be
very short of river transport both for surveys and for conveyance of coal and
stores to the dredgers.
I have coming from India one moderate draft steam launch, one shallow
draft paddler and one steam pinnace, but it is quite impossible for me to carry
out all the worksj I have enumerated without a good steamer for working on
the Hammar Lake and $ motor boat for surveys on the lake. I therefore request
that the " Shushan " or similar steamer be placed at my entire disposal and that
sanction be accorded to the purchase of a motor boat.
\
The latter I have had offered me and haye purchased, subject to sanction,
from Messrs. Strick Scott and Co. as per details attached.
I may say that as I shall have competent men in charge I have no fear of the
launch breaking down.
My deeper draft launch can tow barges with coal and stores as far as Qurnah
and the " Shushan " from Qurnah to the lake, but I wish to make it quite clear
that without the service of the "Shushan" or equivalent I cannot carry out the
work entrusted to me.
I ask for nothing extravagant either in the way of men or appliances and
have left so small a margin that very little will make the whole difference between
success and failure.