"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎٣‎٠] (١٧٨٢/١٦٨٥)

United States
of America,
1885-1900.
1630
ant archaeological excavations were carried on at Tallo from miy a
J 900 by Mr. E. de Sarzec, who was during part of that time French
\ ice-Consul at Basrah, and during part of it French Consul t
Baghdad. Russia at tirst showed no signs of interest in the provinop.
hut the Armenian community, though outwardly loyal to the T k'H
Governmettt, were supposed to have Russian' pro'clmties; and it wa!
believed that the Itussiau Government kept themselves informed !
affairs in Turkish 'Iraq through Armenian agents.
Later in the reign of 'Abdul Hamid the attention of various
European powers was turned to Turkish 'Iraq, and a Russian Consulate
General and several Foreign Consulates were established, as shown in
the Appendix on Diplomatic and Consular Representation,
In 1885 an American Archajological A ission visited Turkish 'Iran •
and thereafter, from 1888 to 1900, excavations were carried on at Nifai
by American archajologists working under the auspices of the Uiiiversitv
of Pennsylvania. ^
The power next to Britain having most connection with the province
was, before the inception of the Baghdad Railway scheme, Russia
and Russian instigation was suspected in the case of an attempt by the
Turkish authorities in 1883 to prevent the navigation of the Twrie
by British vessels.
Afterwards Germany, in consequence of the Baghdad Railway
arrangements occupied the second place; but during the period with which
we are concerned neither German nor Russian interests materialised
ocally to an appreicable extent. Archaeological excavations on a large
scale were,^ however, carried on at Babylon from January 1898 by a
German Mission under the directien of Dr. Koldewey.
It may be mentioned that the stay of the Russian war vessel
' Gilyak at Basrah from Mie 5th to the 13th March 1900 was made the
occasion of a somewhat ostentatious display by the Russian Consul from
Baghdad, and that the regulation period of quarantine was reduced in
her favour by the Turkish authorities from 10 to 5 days. The Board of
Health at (Wstantinople, however, on the representations of the British
delegate, soon afterwards agreed to extend the relaxation to all foreign
warships calling at, Basrah ; and the permanent benefit of the concession
thus reverted chiefly to the British navy.
Questions of navigation in Turkish Iraq, 1876-1905.
It will be convenient to treat all navigation questions of the period
in Tmkish Iraq together, though the interests involved were partly
Turkish and partly foreign.