"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [و‎‎١‎١‎٣] (٢٨٤/٢٢٦)

73
1907— {cont.)
Sir N. O'Conor,
No. 438, July 23
[25109/07].
Major Maunsell,
February 3
[4029/07].
[Confidential
8852.]
Sir N. O'Conor,
Telegraphic,
March 27
[10003/07].
Sir C. Hardinge,
April 14
[12713/07].
Sir G. Mackenzie,
May 10
[15350/07],
Sir N. O'Conor,
No. 714,
November 26 r
[39483/07].
when to answer the Porte's note, and, as be
thought that the restriction would not he insisted
upon, and that the matter would be allowed to
drop, do further action was taken.
Major F. R. Maunsell, in his Reference Kotes
on towns along the Bagdad Railway, stated, in
regard to the navigation of the Shatt-el-Arab
and Tigris and Euphrates, that "steamers able
to cross the bar at the mouth of the Shatt can
ascend easily to Bussorah (67 miles from the
sea), and vessels of light draft (small gun-boats)
can ascend to Kurna. The steamers anchor in
mid-stream and all cargo is discharged into
lighters. River steamers ascend the Tigris River
to Bagdad, but cannot navigate the Euphrates,
owin 0- to shoal w T ater in the marshes, about
50 miles above Kurna."
Jn Eebruary of this year a memorandum w^as
prepared by the librarian of the Foreign Office
on British rights by treaty and otherwise to the
navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates, and the
conclusion he drew was that Great Britain could
claim, under various treaties between Turkey
and foreign Powers, to be entitled to engage in
the navigation of the internal waters of the
Ottoman Empire- generally for direct trade, and
possibly also for internal coasting trade.
Sir N. O'Conor reported in March that
the Anatolian Railway Company {i.e., the
Germans) w 7 ere in negotiation with the lurkish
Civil List for the cession of the latter's monopoly
of navigation on the Tigris in return for a loan.
A proposal w r as made to effect a combine of
British firms — including Sir G. Mackenzie
(British India Steam Navigation Company),
Mr. H. E. B. Lynch, and Mr. D'Arcy—to secure
the working of the Turkish steamers. Sir G.
Mackenzie and Mr. Lynch w r ere brought into
communication, but the latter wanted to obtain
the concession for his company, and the matter
was, therefore, left in his hands.
Sir N. O'Conor forwarded to the Foreign
Office a report and chronological memorandum,
prepared by Colonel Ramsay, acting consul-
general at Bagdad, on the right of British
Government vessels to navigate the Tigris above
Bagdad, and proposed to inform him that there
was no objection to his taking advantage
of an opportunity, suggested or favoured by
events or special circumstances, to navigate the
[163] U