'A Précis of the Relations of the British Government with the Tribes and Shaikhs of 'Arabistan By Lieutenant A T Wilson, Acting Consul for Arabistan' [‎31v] (67/143)

48
tories.
In reply to these questions the representatives of the mediating Powers
declared as follows :—
That the anchorage of Mohammerah is the place situated opposite to the town of
that name in the Haffar Canal, and that the definition is not susceptible of any other
interpretation.
They adhere in addition to the opinion of the Ottoman Minister, that in abandon
ing to Persia in the places referred to the town, port and an anchorage of Mohammera ,
as well as the island of Khidhar, the Sublime Porte does not cede in the same places
any other lands nor other ports which may exist there.
In reply to the second query :—
That under no pretext whatever will Persia be able to lay claim to territories
situated on the right bank of the river, nor to the territories to the left bank which
belong to Turkey, ^even though Persian tribes should be established partly or wholly
on the said bank or in the said territories.
The explanatory Note has obviously no bearing upon the ancient treaties,
nor upon the territorial claims of the Porte except so far as Mohammerah
and the adjoining district are concerned. Yet the Porte, foisting upon this
document some arbitrary or fanciful explanation has continually based upon
the explanatory note its claims to revert to ancient treaties and to fix the
boundary according to local tradition, not only at Mohammerah, but
apparently also elsewhere.
After considerable delay the Commissioners were at length united at
Mohammerah, to commence operations in January 1850. 1 Colonel Williams
was again appointed British Commissioner and Lieutenant Glascott, R.N.,
British Surveyor.
The Ottoman Commissioner at the outset proceeded to allege proofs of
ancient Ottoman suzerainty over the tribes in possession near Mohammerah, 2
and recorded his claim to all the country included within the yellow line
with the exception only of the walled town of Mohammerah and the Island of
Khidhar, exclusive of the Island of Mahallah.
As an offset to these exorbitant demands, the Persian Commissioner put
in his claim, as indicated by a green line on the map 3 on the ground that the
country so defined was actually coupled and had been occupied for untold
years by Persian tribes. He too, he said, would adduce rebutting evidence
of ancient Persian suzerainty of a weight and character altogether superior
to the proofs alleged by the rival Commissioners, but all such arguments, he
maintained, had been finally disposed of at Erzeroum. He relied solely on
the plain wording of the Treaty to justify his claim and appealing to the
mediating Commissioners insisted upon actual possession as the principle
which should rule generally the division of co-limitary lands.
The decision of the mediating Commissioners in regard to these con
flicting claims was as follows :—
Translation.
, . * n S ? ttle Tiestmn it is necessary that we should bear in mind the real
object of the Treaty, which was to render Mohammerah a place of commerce and to ensure
the passage of boats on the Karun coming from the interior of the country How wore
Wfi to Attain thna nhiontP J
“ TITOW.”
“ COWLEY.”
If any place or possession east of Mohammerah were to remain in possession of the
3 Running from a point near Qurnah to a point west of Hawizek.