"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٥‎٥‎٧] (١٧٨٢/١٧١٢)

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1557
ment, however^ replied that the employmeut of the Comet" ou the
upper river was, in their view, objectionable, because it might be cited
aS a precedent in support of a claim for the grant of similar privileges
to the vessels of other foreign nations.
In December 1893, the " Comet " visited Basrah, where she was docked p iscomteou ?
^ ; . j treatment ot
for survey and her machine guns were replaced by others of a newer the" Comet"
pattern which had been sent from India. Every opportunity was Turkish
allowed to the Turkish officials of seeing what was done. Nevertheless, a,1 ^ 10 Jgg^''
the Wali of Basrah having given orders that she was to be watched,
the " Comet" was at three different points in the ascent of the river to
Baghdad called on to stop by the Turkish police, with threats that she
would be tired on if she did not. Her Commander, however, disregarded
the challenges ; and afterwards, when representations were made to the
Wali of Baghdad concerning this " demonstration of puerile insolence/'
he expressed regret at its occurrence. The Turkish authorities had,
however, the temerity to question the truth of the British Commander's
account of the facts. Colonel Mockler, the Resident, in reporting the
matter to Her Britannic Majesty 's Ambassador at Constantinople, des
cribed it as too trivial to call for diplomatic action.
v ii
Official questions between Turkish and British authorities in
Turkish 'Iraq, 1876—1905-
The attitude of the Turkish authorities towards British interests in
Turkish 'Iraq during the whole of this period was generally one of
obstruction, and occasionally one of active malevolence. Illustrations of
this fact will be fomul in what has gone before, as well as in wbat
£o,lows - , , , „f Murder o£
On the 6th January 1881, Mr. James Milne, a former employe ot Mr. MDuo^
the Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company, who had entered
on business on his own account at Baghdad as a general engineer, was 1881 _i888.
fatally stabbed in one of the principal streets of Baghdad. He was a
man of inoffensive character; but there was enmity between him and
Muhammad Salih, an influential Muhammadan of the town, on account
of a Christian prostitute name Faridah, whom Milne had married ; an
Muhammad Salih had threatened to be revenged on him.
On the night of the crime Mr. Plowden, the British Resident, wrote
to the Wall, requesting that effectual measures might be taken for the
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