"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٤‎٦‎٤] (١٧٨٢/١٦١٩)

1464
at the non-completion of the Mesopotamian telegraph, and, success being taken as th
test of efficiency, the discredit of failure is to a certain extent, I understand reflected
upon myself. How far my efforts have been rightly directed Your Excellency Ian
alone judge, but if they could have been so fortunate as to gain your approval I
respectfully hope that in the measures under contemplation I may he honoured with
Your Excellency's support and permitted at least to accomplish a task of which havincr
been once entrusted with its execution. I could not but feel it a disparagement to be
relieved at the last stage.
In August 1864, without thought of the expedition which he was
then sending against the Sheikh of the Khaza'il, Namiq Pasha
instructed Sami Effendi, a r I urkish officer who acted jointly with Colonel
Kemball in telegraph matters, to inform Colonel Kemball by letter that
the Pasha "had determined to resume operations for the constructiou of
the telegraph " and to invite him to depute English engineers and form
working parties for the purpose; but it was now the turn of the British
Political Agent, though materials sufficient to finish the line had lately
been received at Basrah, to insist on delay. Jle justified his action to
the Under-Secretary of State for India in the following terms;
Already Xamiq I'Ssha has proposed to me to resume operations for this purpose!
but as His ^ Excellency is preparing a military expedition to coerce Sheik Mootluk, the
powerful Chief of the Khuzail tribe, located not far from Samaweh, and as the rebel
. onteSq C hief, Munsoor, who is still at large, may probably join the Khuzail, drawing
with him the disaffected portion of his own tribe, I do not feel equally sanguine with
lis Excellency of tranquillity being restored ; nor should I be justified, I believe, in
exposing my European employes under canvas, to the malaria of the marshes, until
materials shall have been distributed along the banks of the Euphrates and until the
weather shall have become cooler, conditions both of which will need a full month to be
realized. A brief delay at this season, with the view of certifying our objects, must
be comparatively immaterial; but did any considerable portion of stores fall into the
hands oi revolted Arabs, or become swamped in the river, the work must necessarily be
postponed for another year, and the risks of such a contingency would, of courae, be
imminent pending the issue of the plans now under prosecution by His Excellency.
All difficulties, however, were in the end surmounted; and in October
1S65 Colonel Kemball was able to report: "The Mesopotamian sections
of the telegiaph from Baghdad to Fao have, I believe, uniformly worked
w ell as ^ ou ble lines since the date of their construction. The inspector
^ m cbar ge of those sections, Mr. Carthew,* is an efficient officer. The
{ nioc ^ e maintenance, as in the first instance established, differs only
e( ^ ror!1 s y stem generally prevailing in Turkey by the reduplication of
the Chaooshes in the persons of native ' Musseyers/ or escorts, at those
^ W ** هذه التواريخ تقريبية * a retired non-commissioned officer of Artillery. See Sir F. J.
Coldsmid e Telegraph and Travel, page 68.