‘Military Report on ’Arabistan (Area No. 13).’ [‎11v] (27/366)

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A, D. except at Mecca and Medina. Right of Turkey to appoint
Consuls m Persia.
Article 8. —Suppression of brigandage on the frontiers.
The treaty of Erzerum was signed on 31st May 1847 for the
settlement of the Turkish-Persian boundary. Subsequent
meetings of the Commission were held in 1849, 1850 and 1851
at Baghdad and Muhammarah. This boundary has remained
unsettled down to the present time, and disputes frequently
arose between the Turkish and Persian Governments regarding
their respective claims, but not actually on that part of the
frontier resting between ’Arabistan and ’Iraq.
In 1856 the British declared war against Persia, which cul
minated in the fighting at Borasjun, the capture of Muhammarah
and a subsequent expedition to Ahwaz. Major General Sir
James Outram K.C.B. was placed in command of the force.
After the Persians had been defeated at Borasjun the British
troops re-embarked and the fleet arrived at the mouth of the
Shatt-al-’Arab on the 8th March, The village of Ma’amir,
(Qasbat-al-Aassar) was occupied by the enemy, but no acts of
hostility were committed on either side. On the 23rd March
the fleet moved up the river to a point 3 miles below the mouth
of the Karim. The troops were now transhipped together with
the guns and horses into small steamers and vessels of lighter
draft, the enemy making no attempt to interfere. At nightfall
on the 25th some engineer officers, after reconnoitering in a
small boat to within 300 yards of the enemies’ forts, established
a mortar battery on a raft behind the low swampy island, which
lies in midstream opposite Muhammarah, and was to be known
henceforward by Arabs, from this circumstance, as Umm- al-
Rassas—Mother of lead or bullets. At daybreak on the 26th
the mortars from this raft opened fire with deadly effect. At
the first shot our fleet consisting of 7 vessels, of which two were
sloops, weighed anchor, and steaming up river, poured shell on
the enemy’s batteries, which were situated one on each side of
the mouth of the Karun. The sloops passed unhurt within one
hundred yards of the battery and the transport ships, whose
decks were crowded with men, similarly passed unscathed.
The Persians stood to their guns for about 3 hours, after which
their pownr slackened. Troops were then landed just beyond
the western battery (he., above the Customs, at Hauz-al-Malakeh)
and v r ere only feebly opposed. The Persian army fled precipitately,