"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٠‎٤] (١٧٨٢/٤٤٧)

British con
sular appoint
ment, etc.
Hostility of
the Turkish
administra
tion to
British
interests.
Obstruction
to the move
ments of
the R. I. M.
S. " Comet."
304
Karun to navigation had invited. The only British firm which seriously
took advantage of the concession was the Euphrates and Tigris Steam
Navigation Company (Messrs. Lynch), whose steamers had plied for more
than a quarter of a century on the Tigris; and a subsidy was presently
granted at the joint cost of Her Majesty's Government and the Govern,
ment of India to enable them to persevere with 'heir enterprise in the face
of difficulties which existed. These difficulties were great and varied. They
included official obstruction on the part of the Persian Government, espe
cially by imposing arbitrary embargoes on the exportation of grain and
withholding the means of obtaining ordinary accommodation and businesg
facilities ; unfair competition by native merchants and local authorities; an
obligation to maintain a service on the upper KaruL, which proved unprofit
able, in the name of the Shah ; and popular prejudice and fanaticism. The
export trade of the country, however, rapidly increased ; and, from the fact
that Messrs. Lynch did not abandon their enterprise, it may be Inferred
that their gains in ordinary trade more than compensated for the steady
loss which, in spite of the British subsidy^ was understood to be the result
of the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company's operations.
In connection with the development of navigation and trade there were
established at Muhammareh a British Vice-Consulate in 1890 and a
British Indian Post Office in 1892.
British official matters in Turkish 'Irac, 1888-94.
The usual disfavour tow r ards British enterprise in Turkish 'Iraq conti
nued to be manifested by the local authorities ; and in 1893-91, when the
Porte were endeavouring to assert undivided authority over the whole
waterway of the S hatt-al- ; Arab, vexatious interference with British Indian
sailing vessels and blackmailing of the crews on various pretexts became
common, especially at Pao. This matter had some connection with, but
did not entirely depend on, the Turkish claim to Muhammareh ; conse
quently the annoyances in question did not entirely cease with the aban
donment of that claim.
Attempts were made to interfere with the movements of the Baghdad
Residency steamer " Comet ^ even on the lower Tigris ; and in 1894,
shortly afto the close of the period, a voyage'which she made to Samarrah
on the uppci Tigris formed the subject of an official protest by the Porte,
who now foimally denied her right to navigate the river above