"مذكرة بشأن الحدود بين المحمرة وتركيا". [و‎‎٤‎١] (٨٢/٨١)

stipulation in regard to the Bamisliere Channel by which that island is separated from
the districts claimed by the Turkish commissioner. The Porte took very great pains
to record its assertion of sovereign rights over the entire waters of the Shatt-el-Arab,
by which stream the western side of the island is bounded ; but it made no stipulation
in regard to the stream which bounds the eastern bank.
The possibility of such an inconvenient arrangement as that now contended for by
the Turkish commissioner could not have been contemplated, for that arrangement
would have interposed between the Persian island El Khizr and the continental
frontier of Persia a narrow slip of country wholly separated from the rest of the
Turkish dominions; or, if the territorial claim of Turkey in that quarter was to be
admitted in its full extent, the effect of the arrangement would be to separate the town
of Mohammerah and the island of El Khizr from the rest of the Persian dominions.
On the other hand, the claim of the Persian commissioner to the extensive district
between the Kerkha River and the Haffar Canal which rests on the fact that the
Kerkha has its source in the Persian boundary, cannot be sustained on such a reason.
The question therefore to be resolved seems to be: to which of the two countries,
Turkey, or Persia, the tribes by which the district in dispute is occupied properly
belong ; and on this point the Turkish and Persian commissioners are at variance.
The mediating commissioners, without pronouncing an opinion on the last
question, have proposed a line which they appear to consider best calculated to secure
the essential interests of both parties.
It is an object of considerable importance to Persia with a view to the prosperity
of Mohammerah, that both banks of the Haffar Canal should belong to Persia. On
the other hand, the Turkish Government are understood to consider it essential for the
welfare of Bussorah on the west bank of the Shatt-el-Arab, and of Korna, that not
only the channel but also both banks of that river above the Haffar Canal should
belong wholly to Turkey. The mediating commissioners propose to provide for both
these objects by running a line, which vv ill divide the territory in dispute in nearly
equal parts. The line claimed by the Turkish commissioners, in its prolongation
towards the north-west crosses the Karun River above the point where that river falls
into the Haffar Canal, and that line is carried on to two points, apparently buildings,
which are situated somewhat to the south of the town of Hawizah on the Kerkha
lliver. The mediating commissioners propose that the boundary-line between the two
countries should run up along the east bank of the Shatt-el-Arab for a short distance
above the Haffar Canal until it reaches a small stream which falls into that river ; and
that the line should from thence be drawn directly to the points reached, as above
stated, by the Turkish line, and thence directly to the town of Hawizali. Thus
everything to the west of the proposed line, and consequently the east bank of the
Shatt-el-Arab, with the exception of a small portion of that bank which can be of no
value to Turkey, would belong to Turkey, and everything to the east of that line and
consequently the north bank of the Haffar Canal would belong to Persia.
Her Majesty's Government conceive that if the two mediating Courts should be
called upon to pronounce an opinion on the respective claims of the two Mahommedan
Powers, they can do no better than recommend those Powers to adopt the line
proposed by the British and Russian commissioners ; and I have to instruct your
Lordship to communicate on these matters with the Russian Government, and to
ascertain whether the opinion of that Government coincides with the opinion of Her
Majesty's Government as stated in this despatch.
I have, &c.
PALMERSTON.