"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [ظ‎‎٤‎٦] (٢٨٤/٩٣)

76
take exception to such a proceeding. Musurus
pasha brought back the note of explanation and
asked that one less curtly worded should be sub
stituted. The note was accordingly amended,
and concluded with the expression of Her
Majesty's Government's hope that no opposition
would "be made to the " stationnaire" of the
consulate ascending the river for the same pur
pose, providing notice were previously given to
the local authorities.
Temporary permission to tow barges during
the prevalence of famine at Bagdad was given to Commercial,
the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation
Company in 1887,* but was only in iorce for a
few months. The company had previously
applied to the Foreign Office with a view to
obtaining permission from the Porte for employ
ment of their third steamer and four barges,
and were informed that, in the opinion of Her To Euphrates and
Majesty's Government, it was undesirable to 1
reopen the question of the use of barges or to Company,
, . , . • • p i • April 9, 1886.
take any action to obtain permission for their
third steamer to run on the Mesopotamian rivers.
In consequence of the accumulation of cargo at Euphrates and
Bussorah, the company again urged that action tion™
should be taken on their behalf, or that they Company,
should be compensated for their losses by Her j^ f) enilier lo '
Majesty's Government. They were told that To Euphrates land
any attempt to obtain increased facilities would ' ri ^ I ! ls ^a 111
, . . Mavigatiou!
not be likely to meet with success; that Her Company,
Majesty's Government were not aware of any act i^ G ember 2 ^
binding upon the Turkish Government giving
the company rights in the matter; and that
their claim against Her Majesty's Government
for compensation in the event of the company's
case not being pressed could not be recognised.
Towards the end of 1886 it was reported that
a canal (Dujailah Canal) was in course of con
struction, for irrigation purposes, near Kut-el-
Amarab, on the Tigris between Bagdad and
Bussorah, and fear was entertained that the
navigation of the Tigris would be detrimentally
affected by its waters being drawn off. The
Ambassador at Constantinople was directed to ToSirW wv.
call the Porte's attention to this danger and No - 85, * '
about seventeen months later fresh representa- NovemWs i
tions were made by Sir W. White, which resulted sir W White
m the issue of orders to the local authorities to No - ^
Commercial,
* m, . A P ril 4 »
be 40 all0W the ^ ^
1886.