"الخليج الفارسي وخليج عُمان. الموارد والدفاعات الساحلية. ١٩٠٣." [ظ‎‎١‎٨] (١٢٠/٤٣)

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Navigation.
32 PERSIAN GULF.—RESOURCES AND DEFENCES.
The distance from the bar up the river to—
Fao - - - is
Mohammerah (Hafar Channel for
Karun River) - - »
Basra - - “ »
Kurna (Coma), junction of Tigris
and Euphrates - - -
Baghdad (vid Tigris) - said to be
miles.
46
67
116
606
55
55
Under the most favourable conditions vessels of 17 feet
draught can reach Basra. The channel is said to be getting
shallower, and nothing appears to be done by the Turkish
Government to prevent this.
Small vessels of 15 feet draught can reach Kurna (Corna),
the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates.
From Kurna the Tigris is reported to be navigable by vessels
of—
10 feet draught for 60 miles.
9 „ jj 150 „
5 „ „ (and possibly more) to Baghdad.
3 „ „ (in the dry season) „ „
A Consular report of 1901 states that navigation of the Tigris
is increasing in difficulty owing to want of dredging.
The two British steamers (belonging to Messrs. Lynch)
running between Basra and Baghdad were in 1898 of the
American river type with disconnecting engines. The larger
one was 230 feet long by 45 feet broad across the paddle boxes.
Native boats of about 30 tons with 15 hands take 30 to 40
days in tracking from Basra to Baghdad.
Note .—The Shatt-al-Arab may become a trade route of the
first importance.
The Turkish confluents traverse fertile provinces which, only
require cheap transport and good government for the proper
development of their trade. At presents the channels are slowly
silting up, so that nothing but shallow draught vessels can ply
on the upper waters, and the Government only allows two
foreign steamers (viz., those of Messrs. Lynch) to trade between
Basra and Baghdad.
The Persian confluent, the Karun River, which joins the
Shatt-al-Arab near Mohammerah, gives access to some of the
chief trading centres of West Persia. Great importance is
attached to the development of this route for British trade, and
there appears to be some prospect of progress. (See p. 41.)