'Summary of correspondence relative to the administration of the Port of Basrah and measures for the control of the shipping traffic in Mesopotamia.' [‎24v] (48/134)

APPENDIX II.
Dredger " Oswald."
To Colonel Sir George Buchanan.
Sir,
I have the hcnour to inform you that on the arrival of the dredger at Bombay
I went to report to the Deputy Director, Royal Indian Mai mo. At the same time
1 asked for money to pay my staii for the month of January. The Deputy Director
told me he knew nothing about us except that they were to fit the new pump,
also that Sir George Buchanan should have made arrangements himself as to our
pay. That he considered the changing of the dredgers a waste of money. They
had already fitted out two dredgers and spent three lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. in fitting them
out and now these same dredgers were being sent back as useless. I pointed out
that I was only a subordinate and knew nothing about this matter.
I must say that the gear belonging to the dredger and pipe line was handled
in a very haphazard manner. I don't know whether Bombay was to blame for
this or not, some of the cases containing spare gear are missing. One case was
found in the hold of "a paddle steamer that was fitting out. Two days before the
dredger sailed I found another case and a number of plates and angle irons be-
loneing to the floaters lying in a corner of the dockyard. I got my crew to put
the case on board the dredger and to put the plates and angle irons into a barge
where a lot more of my gear was. When we arrived in Bombay, all the floaters
were in the dock and no one seemed to bother about them. As I had no authority
to speak about the gear being there, and did not know what arrangements you or
Mr Niven had made, also the attitude the Deputy Director took up when I reported
my arrival, prevented me from interviewing "him again. Mr. Niven told me
verbally also in his letter which he left for me at Bombay, that the dredger must be
readv for work as soon as she arrives at Basrah and as nothing was being done to
despatch the floaters and gear belonging to them I thought the only way out of it was
to wire you for instructions but I am sorry to say I let it stand too long ; I should have
done that on my arrival at Bombay. I wrote out t:ie following telegram and tooic it
up to Mr. Knight, Inspector of Machinery. He asked me to leave it with him and he
would put up before the Deputy Director. 1 saw Mr. Knight afterwards and he
informed me that Commander Hordern sent his compliments and that everything
was being done to get the gear to Basrah.
The Marine Storekeeper informed me that his instructions were to give the
R. I. M. stores the preference in shipment.
I received every assistance in looking for gear from Mr. Knight and his Assistant
Engineer and they worked to get the dredger away with all possible speed. The
dredger was not properly made fast till they started work taking out the old pump
and they worked night and day when possible till it was finished. As the closing
length of pipe for discharge side of pump did not fit a new casting had to be made for
same. They also fitted a new sleeve on the impeller. I wrote to the Staff Officer,
R.I.M., informing him about the missing cases and the contents of same. 1 herewith
enclose reply. I also beg to state that the Chief Accountant, R.I.M. gave me all
the money 1 asked for to enable me to pay my officers up to the end of February.
1 will render a statement of all money drawn and payments made to each officer.
When we left Bombay we had the paddle steamer " Damukdia " No. 21
in tow. Owing to this tow it took six days for the dredger to reach Karachi in
fine weather, and the consumption of coal was 18 tons per day : steam was difficult
to keep in the boiler. The consumption of coal between Rangoon and Bombay
was 14 tons per day. Owing to the excessive delay being caused to the dredger
I told the navigating officer in charge that I did not intend to leave Karachi
with the tow until I got instructions from Sir George Buchanan which I intended
to telegraph for from Karachi.
The Transport Officer at Karachi on his initiative took the paddler from ua
and after coaling we came on to Basrah alone.