"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [و‎‎١‎٢‎٥] (٢٨٤/٢٥٠)

rnider authority) that she shall not hoist a British flag above the port of Bussorah. With regard
to the demands of the Arabs, he observes that, if the vessel be in a condition to resist them, she is
at liberty to do so ; but, as his own authority over the tribes who inhabit the marshes is merely
nominal, and as their power to impede the passage of any vessel not impelled by steam is
undoubted, the owners of the schooner, he adds, must take upon themselves the responsibility
incurred by any opposition upon their part to established usage.
in conformity with the opinion recorded by your Excellency in your despatch to my
predecessor, under date the 28th April, 1842, I shall recommend the captain of the " Kerbelai''
to raise no question at present respecting the payment to the Arab chiefs, to whose good-will
he must be indebted for the possible accomplishment of the ascent of the river; but, after
Turkish boats possessed by British owners, or owners under British protection,' have been
hitherto permitted for a period of forty years to navigate the river under British colours.
I have a strong repugnance in the case of a British boat to acknowledge the right of the Bagdad
Government to demand the substitution of a Turkish for an English flag. As the concession of
this point, indeed, appears to be equivalent to a concession of our national right of navigating
the Mesopotamian rivers for the purpose of trade, I think it better that the vessel in question
should incur a loss by demurrage at Bussorah, pending an answer from your Excellency to my
present despatch, than that, by appearing under Turkish colours, she should afford a precedent
for the renewal of a demand, of which the propriety is certainly doubtful, and which your
Excellency, after due consideration, may be proposed to resist.
The real question at issue appears to be, whether Bagdad can be considered a port. I
referred this point on a previous occasion to Mr. Consul-General Cartwright, and he was clearly
of opinion that, if a vessel built and laden at an Indian port could enter the Kiver Euphrates, pass
Bussorah, without breaking bulk or paying duty, and land her cargo at Bagdad, the latter place
might then be held to be the port of the Tigris, as Sook-esh-Shukh might be considered the port
of the Euphrates and Bussorah that of the united rivers.
Hitherto we have had no instance of a vessel importing cargo direct from India to Bagdad
(nor even of a British merchant-vessel appearing on the Tigris), but the "Kerbelai" is a case in
point. Adapted to river, as well as sea navigation, she can proceed without breaking bulk from
Bombav to Bagdad, and if by so doing she can be admitted to have verified the claim of Bagdad
to be considered as the port of the Tigris, then, of course, neither she nor any British vessel can be
legitimately required to strike the national flag on ascending the river above the town of
I would not, in the present state of our relations with the Porte, have^ troubled your
Excellency with the discussion of this question had the voyage of the " Kerbelai ' promised to be
an isolated, or even an unusual, circumstance; but not only is the schooner m question
destined, as I have before observed, for permanent employment on the waters of Mesopotamia,
but I have also within these few days been consulted with regard to our right of ascending ^
rivers by three different British mercantile houses, Messrs. Mills and Co., Messrs Hector and Co.,
and Messrs Lynch and Co., each of which parties are, it appears, independently, and more 01
less actively, engaged in preparing iron steam-vessels express^ for the navigation of the ^gTis,
the obiect being to supersede the present dilatory and uncertain method of bringing go
Bussorah to Bagdad by sailing or tracking the river boats.
APPENDIX IX.
Sir Stratford Canning to the Earl of Ahtrdeen .-^Beceived April 1.)
(No. 45.) Constantinople, March 18, 1846.
" aN ^attempt has been made by the Pasha of than d underThe^flag of the
Tigris and Euphrates by British merchant -vesseis 8ubiec t8. The accom-
J -"""
especially to the duties. . , d knowing the character of Nejib Pasha, I
Looking to the future extension of our trade, and g ra i ge( q by means of a direct
C01 dtfi8tandinV" e ^^ ie ^^ l ^^°' , ^'^ r ^^ 1 ^ e ^ 1 ^ 0nimere ^ ' ell * er ^ Se8 tad ^
of the Porte, and net to leave room for any qnesbon ^J^^tomarj'port of entry at
merchandise in onr own vessels, and " n( |® r om "T''j to en t er upon such delicate ground
Rnssorah. Thus circumstanced, I should have , , principles by which I was to be g mc ^
"fVinut the advantage of a special instruction, ha P Trade on a former occasion. In the
[163—2]
* See Appendices VI and VIII.
G