File 1855/1904 Pt 10 'Koweit:- Relations with Turkey. Sheikh's properties at Fao and Fadaghia' [‎198v] (396/398)

and that the 600 metres clear now demanded by the Wall is much more than
ever asked for before and means the surrender to inundation of a large number
of date-palms.
Dated Basrah, the 24th January 1908 (demi-official).
From—F. E. Crow, Esq., His Britannic Majesty’s Consul, Basrah,
To— Major P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire.
Tour telegram 12th January and letter 14th January about Mubarek’s
land at Fao.
Wali says he will do his best to smooth over difficulties provided no harm
is done to the fort, hut he states Mubarek is reclaiming new ground and not
merely repairing old “seddas” as represented. He has recovered this year
from the river 39,000 square dras (Jhat means a patch of about 130 yards by
85 yards, the land dra being 19 inches) on the north side of the fort, and
opened a channel besides near the fort itself. Before land is reclaimed from
a river in Turkey it is usual to obtain permission from Government and pay
something for it. This has not been done. The matter is engaging the atten
tion of the Palace, and they are in correspondence with the Wali on the subject.
The Wali has replied to the Palace telegrams that he is making the necessary
enquiries. The whole question has been referred by the Wali to the Adminis
trative Council, and he proposes to send a member of the Council to Fao to
survey the place. The Wali will let me hear further when the matter has been
gone into.
I suggested privately that the Wali should tell me how much royalty the
Turkish Government wanted, as I might then be able to facilitate matters, and
Mubarek would do well to consult the Wali direct as to permission and pay
ment. His statement to us seems disingenuous. I am a little embarrased by
Mubarek himself, who during the feast (14th January to 19th January)
began his work again in spite of orders not to, and would pay no attention to
what the Turkish Government said. Your telegram to me was dated 12th
January, so Mubarek took the law into his own hands about two days after
jrour reference to me. He is really an “ impossible client ”!
What is the Arabic of your translation “600 metres clear space”. I
fancy there may be some error. Our surface measure here is the “dra”,
which is 19 inches. There is a lineal dra of 36 inches, but used for cloth only.
The metre is not used locally for land measure, though, if measured by the
military people, the 600 ? in the perimeter of the fort may well be the
metre as we know it.
I will do what I can, hut you see it isn’t easy under existing conditions.
Dated the 28th January 1908 (demi-official).
From— Major P. Z. Cox, C.I.E., Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Bushire,
F. E. Crow, Esq., His Britannic Majesty’s Consul, Basrah.
Many thanks for your letter of 24th January regarding the Fao pro*
perties.
“ Mittr ” was the word used to me, both by the Sheikh and his writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. ,
who after my interview brought me the old partition deed and went into
explanations with plan and pencil. The word Zira was never used, and it
seemed clear to me that they knew, and were using the French word “ metre”.
I am sending your letter over to Knox, who is now back.
I hear from Fao that the Turks have demolished one of the offending
bunds, hut in his letter received last night Knox makes no mention of this.
It is as you know very difficult in these matters to get our friends to be
at all precise, but I went over the fort “ clearance” point again and again to
make sure that I had the right details, as stated by Sheikh Mubarek at the
time.