"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [و‎‎٧‎٣] (٢٨٤/١٤٦)

raised questions as to the use and replacement of
the " Comet," the use of a third steamer, of a
steam launch and of barges by Messrs. Lynch,
and Co., and the dimensions of the steamers, &g.,
till in 1883 she prohibited Messrs. Lynch and Co.
from navigating the Tigris at all.
In that year the question was in consequence
carefully examined, memoranda of great value
were drawn up, especially that written by
Mr. Plowden,* and the matter was submitted to
the Law Officers, and a reply to the Turkish
statement, drawn up by Sir Julian Pauncefote,
was communicated to the Turkish Ambassador
in London on the 6th June, 1884. (Appendix
XXV.)
This reply was approved by the Law Officers
and contained a very clear statement of the
British case. It was effective so far, as to induce
the Turkish Government to allow Messrs. Lynch
and Co. to resume their traffic on the Tigris ; but
nothing further was done to secure privileges for
British commerce generally. Both in this reply
and in the statement made in Parliament on the
8th August, 1881, British general rights were
reserved, though they were not pressed.
The Turkish policy of attempting to restrict
the privileges enjoyed by the Euphrates and
Tigris Navigation Company was continued, and
the limitation of the number of steamers em
ployed to two was insisted on. This action was
due, in part at any rate, to the unsuccessful
attempts of other foreign nations, in 1882-4, and
again in 1896 and 1902, to obtain permission to
navigate the Mesopotamian rivers. An attempt
was also made to dispute the freedom to naviga
tion of the Shatt-el-Arab between Bussorah and
Mohammerah, a part of the river which had up
to that time been regarded as open to all-
vessels.
Various attempts were, however, made to
improve the position of the Tigris and Euphrates
Company, but they w r ere, if successful, generally
only temporary, such as the use of barges to
convey food in famine times or to clear off accu
mulations of goods ; eventually, however, a some
what grudging permission to tow barges was
obtained (1899) and the use of a third steamer,
flying the Ottoman flag, was allowed (1907;.
* A more important memorandum by Mr. Plovvden was
written in 1881.
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