"مذكرة تتعلق بالملاحة في نهري دجلة والفرات". [ظ‎‎١‎٢‎٥] (٢٨٤/٢٥١)

submitted them subsequently to your Lordship, had the satisfaction to find that they were
approved.
With these recollections to guide me, I applied to the Ottoman Minister for the removal of
those obstacles which Nejib Pasha: had raised to the free navigation of our vessels on the waters
under his jurisdiction, and when difficulties were made as to meeting my wishes to their full
extent I proposed an arrangement, which, by means of some discussion between the interpreters,
and after much delay, was finally accepted and laid before the Sultan. His Highness's assent is
not at all likely to be withheld, and as soon as it is given, the necessary instructions will be
transmitted to Nejib Pasha and communicated to Her Majesty's Embassy.
The substance of the agreement is this : British vessels, qualified to navigate as such, will
be allowed to pass up and down the rivers without obstruction under their own flag, paying for
the merchandise on board according to the treaty of Balta Liman, and staying to carry on the
internal traffic at their pleasure. British-owned boats or vessels built in the country and employed
in the internal trade will pay duty on the same terms, but will not be allowed to bear the
national colours. Those vessels which pass up the rivers beyond the port of entry will pay
an anchorage duty of 5 Turkish piastres on each vessel, a charge considerably less than half the
amount levied under that denomination on British vessels here.
1 trust, my Lord, that by making this arrangement I have permanently secured to our
merchants the right of navigating the waters of Mesopotamia under the protection of their
own national flag as high as the draught of the vessels which bear it will allow, while the charges
to be levied on their merchandise are only those which we could not, with any show of justice
or shadow of propriety, refuse. With respect to the country-built boats, which Major Rawlinson
describes as having enjoyed the use of British colours for many vears, I can only submit that
they have enjoyed that advantage illegally as regards the laws" of the United Kingdom; and
that although I should be glad, tor the sake of appearance, to spare their owners the fancied
humiliation of a change, I cannot forget that they are now to be exempted from every charge
other than that upon the goods on board, and 1 trust also that there will no Jonser be an v
distinction between steamers and sailing-vessels.
but should I be mistaken in these respects, it is open for your Lordship to obiect to the
presentarrangement, and as such objection would no doubt be founded upon a sound view of our
rights, there could be no great difficulty in correcting my error. A copy of the instruction r
destined for the Pasha of Bagdad shall be forwarded to your Lordship by the next opportunity.*
I have, &c,
STRATFORD CANNING.
APPENDIX X.
Memorandum about the Navigation oj
TVn/nh
(A.)
Memorandum about the Navigation of Vessels and
-tLuphrates, February 5, I846.t
under E S own T C 1S they' sfaM mv'T faits *> go back to sea, shall navigate
imp T e E a rV Spel H hftve
from one place to another goods the nrodnop of Tnrl™ f ' and wh e n busy in carrying
they shall pay the same duties as the vessels of the country consumption in the country,
6. Vessels and caiks built in the countrv and become fliA c u i.
of Ihfcount^ r 0tt0man flaS ' and ^ ^ whic^a^^Vd t or^retTnd'cS
Jeapp orJ u d t * SW! Altme k
26 firmer, 1846. 1 P W y< " :ha a son ExeelUnce Sir Stmiford Canning, le
ponr retourner a la mer, payeront S pour Tekfde droite^le'd ^ PayS de VE ^
p. „ t saaarraafe*
* See Appendix X (C).