"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎٣‎٥] (١٧٨٢/١٦٩٠)

1535
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accordinglr made a telegraphic reference on the subject to Her Britannic
Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople.
On the 28th June a British* steamer was prevented from loading
cargo at Baghdad, and the Resident was ii)formed by the Wall on the
same day that he had received orders by telegram from Constantinople
to prohibit the entry of British steamers into the Tigris. Colonel Tweedie
asked that execution of the orders might be deferred as the matter was
then under discussion at Constantinople, but the "Wali replied : '*1 have
«the honour to repeat the intimation already made to you that, as Messrs.
" Lynch and Company's privilege applies to the Euphrates only, the
« Ottoman Government have finally prohibited their keeping steamers on
^ the Tigris/' As the " Mejidieh/' however, then at Baghdad, had
arrived before receipt of the Turkish Government's; instructions, she was
allowed to discharge her cargo. The Wali added: "Final orders have
been given to the Captain of our steamer at Qurnah and others that
" henceforward it is requisite that no cargo should be given to Lynch's
" steamers; also that should they desire to run on the Tigris and come up
« again to Baghdad, it will be necessary to obstruct them and give them
" no way to enter the Tigris,"
The British Resident remonstrated, referring to the serious conse
quences to which the steps threatened might give rise, and protesting
against the interference with the British mail service involved ; but the
"Wali answered that he was merely acting under instructions > and that the
British mails could be sent by Turkish steamer.
On the 5th July, in accordance with the Turkish pretensions, gen
darmes were sent on board the " Mejidieh," which was preparing for
her downward voyage; cargo and passengers were prevented from ap
proaching the vessel; and various means of insulting and annoying the
officers and crew were employed. Native merchandise intended for
shipment by the " Mejidieh " was conveyed instead, at the dictate of
the Turkish customs officials, to the Turkish steamer " Furat." On the
6th July the " Mejidieh " left Baghdad for Basrah with the British mails,
but otherwise quite empty and so light as to be dangerous for navigation.
The Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company, who had at all
times carried Turkish official despatches and specie gratis, and who were
under contract for deliverv of goods and had chartered tonnage at
Basrah for their onward transit, were naturally much aggrieved by
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Vi
•This steamer is called in the correspondence « the " Mcjidieh "
may be meant. There was a Turkish steamer Musai.