"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٢‎٥‎٠] (١٧٨٢/١٤٠٥)

British
vessels at
Basrah,
March 1775,
Operations
antil the
departure of
the British
gunpowder, which is made in the town, there being large quantities of salt -petre
in the neighbourhood, so that they never import gunpowder, but supply other places
with it. The fortifications on pach side the creek's mouth are exclusive of the eight
bastions.
a * * * *
At the entrance of the creek, on the right, is a castle with eight guns pointing
down, and on the opposite side it has eight more, puinting up and across the river.
On the left is a battery of four guns, which commands the entry of the creek, situated
in such a manner as to act in conjunction with the castle, in defending the entrance
of the creek. About one hundred yards lower is a double battery of twelve guns
in two tiers, called < he captain pasha's battery; adjoining to which is hig house, and
those of his officers and men. Near this is agate, which lefe them out of the city
when occasion offers. There is another such gate near the castlo,. on the right hand
entrance of the creek, which admits inco the city, the cas'le terminating the city walls
on that side ; yet both these gates are very smHli, and may rather be called postern gates.
In November 1774, when Mr. Parsons arrived at Basrah ; the follow
ing- armed vessels belonging to the Kast India Company were lying in
the river and apparently remained there, except the first-mentioned, until
the commencement of the siege : the " Revenge " of 26 or 28 guns, of
which 20 wore 12 pounders, the largest fighting ship in the Company's
whole fleet; the <£ Eagle, ' snow, of 16 guns ; and the " Success, " ketch,
of 14 guns. The detention of the " Eagle " and " Success " at Basrah
by the Agent, without their authority, was considered unnecessary and
was much regretted by the Governor and Council at Bombay, who dis
approved—as explained in the history of the Persian Coast—of Mr.
Moore s provocative policy towards Karlm Khan, and who at this time,
m consequence of a rupture with the Marathas, themselves stood in
urgent need of all the ships that they could collect .: and in February
i 7 75 they despatched peremptory orders by the " Drake snow, which
wa ' P 10ctt 'bng to the Crulf, that both the vessels named should be
released and sent back to them within ten days of receipt of their letter.
To the British ships enumerated above should be added, as being
under the orders of the British Agent at Basrah in this crisis, the Pasha's
new 14 gun ketches, " Euphrates " and "Tigris," both of which still
flew the Biitish colours, were commanded by midshipmen in the
Company s . c civice, and had on board a few European sailors Mr.
Moore's retention of these ketches under his own control did not, as will
appear latei on, conduce to a steady observance of that policy of neutral
ity which he had twice professed.
No sooner had the Persians appeared in force at the mouth of the
Suwaib than Shaikh 'Abdullah basely deserted his post, leaving the enemy
to cross the river unopposed. This a part of the Persian forces at once