"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎٣‎٨] (١٧٨٢/١٦٩٣)

gempiovt
jjuaiun of tlis
^'tecjlrepresec
ufiesskf 01 i'
^tnctiods 011 tn
2j v.Jf CODSllk
lal;l9,o n
aUbSlOD tfl ui
®fl(!\it!iird
fanic Maje
hkisf, (fflt
vticli tk Tu
Fml letter t
iBr'tisli stea
fail irnder
rffltopreve;
And by
lAen there w;
aiiswritini
llie qnes'
iiiiissador:
aiitl)eievok(
At the ec
duet
wit
Formation
of an
Ottoman
Navigation
Company,
1892.
Impaired
navigation
of the Tigris
and attempt
ed or
suggested
remedies,
1898 -99.
1538
have had something to do with it; and it was also remarked that it
synchronised with the first appearance of a Russian Consul at Baghdad,
where there were few if any European Russian subjects and where
Russian trade did not exist.
In 1892 the formation of an Ottoman Company for the Navigation
of the Tigris and Euphrates was authorised by Imperial Edict. 3 This
scheme, which had been incubating since 1883, and which had appeared
to be on the point of * realisation in 1888, appeared to be connected with
another for irrigating lands on both sides of the Tigris which had been
purchased by the Dairat-as-Saniyah or Administration of the Sultan's
Civil List. It was understood that the new Company, of which the
capital was expected to be about £100,000, would enjoy the full support
of the Turkish Government and would employ four steamers. Two
steamers were in fact ordered in London by the Turkish Ministry of
Marine, a circumstance which sufficiently attested official patronage;
but one of them was lost with all hands on the voyage out, and the other
was diverted to Constantinople.
About 1898 more than usual difficulty began to be experienced, in
the low season in navigating the Tigris between Qurnah and 'Amarah,
and also between Kut-al-M marah and Baghdad. On the lower of the
two sections mentioned, that generally known as " the Marshes," the
deterioration was caused by the irrigation canals of the Arabs, which-
having their head-openings directed upstream and being, as regards
theii management, under no scientific supervision—showed a constant
tendency to enlarge and to draw off more and more water from the river,
so diminishing its depth and flooding the country on both sides.
ihe Fuikish authorities made some efforts to combat the evil; but
the funds allotted by the Turkish Government were insufficient, and the
Arab owners of the canals resented official interference with their pro
perty. In the winter of ( 898-99 some Turkish officials employed on the
woik were attacked and stripped by tribesmen, and had to fly for their
lives with gunny-bags as their only clothing.
In 189 J the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Co., w T ho saw
their interests seriously threatened, proposed that the Porte should be moved
to gue immediate attention to the state of the river, especiallv between
QutnaL and Amaiah, to take measures for closing the more injurious of
the canals, and to insist that the heads of all irrigation cuts should be alter-
edso a s t0 face downstream. They also suggested that an engineer from
could not b^obUinod. 11 ^ demauded ,he suppression of the British steamers, hvc this