'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎217] (236/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
217
The whole coast from the eastern mouth of the Indus to
Sonmeanee, as well as the harbour of Kurrachee, had been
carefully surveyed by Commander Carless* in the last years of
the administration of Sir Charles Malcolm; and, in 1842,
Lieutenant Montriou made a survey of Sonmeanee Bay. In
1846 the Indus mouths were again surveyed by Lieutenant
W. B. Selby, assisted by Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. Taylor and Stroyan, but
the charts, it appears, were never published. Lieutenant Selby
had already gained credit for his surveys in Mesopotamia, and
the memoirs written by him and Lieutenant Grounds, on the
countries adjacent to the Euphrates, received the commendation
of the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. , and a General Order was published
relative thereto, under date the 9th of June, 1846.
That distinguished surveyor. Lieutenant J.Felix Jones, on his
return to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , after accompanying Lieutenant
C. D. Campbell in his memorable ascent of the Euphrates, re
mained from 1842 to May, 1846, in command on the river
Tigris, and, as opportunities offered for travelling in the dis
turbed districts around, was engaged in collecting materials for
a map comprising the territories and rivers between the Medi-
terranean, Kurdistan, Persia, and the Gulf. This map he
constructed in Bombay when employed on special duty in
1846-47. In May of the latter year, Lieutenant Jones re
turned to Mesopotamia as surveyor,f and with extended powers
on obtaining his commission as commander, on the aug
mentation ot the Service, under date the 13th of September.
1847. r f
On the death of Sir Robert Oliver, Captain Lynch officiated
temporarily as Superintendent of the Indian Navy, until the
arrival, on the 31st of August, of Captain Hawkins in the
'Olive from Bushire, who had been succeeded in the command
of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. squadron by Captain Carless in the pre
ceding April. Captain Hawkins was appointed a first-class
* a Memoir to accompany the Survey of the Delta of the Indus in 1837," by
Lieutenant Carless, Vol. YIII. of the "Journal of the Eoyal Geographical
Society • Bombay Selections," No. 17.
f See "Narrative of a Journey through parts of Persia and Kurdistan, under-
taken by Commander J. F. Jones, I.N, of the Hon. Company's steam-vessel
IMtocris, m company with Major Rawlinson, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. ,"
dated Bagdad, the 31st of December, 1847. In 1843, Lieutenant Jones brought
amar, a de P 0 sed chief of the Cha'ab Arabs, from Bussorah to Bagdad; and, in
August ot the lollowmg year, accompanied Major Eawlinson (who had succeeded
Uolone 1 laylor as Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. at Bagdad) to Zohab, a village in a district
T a i me f P rnim g a portion of the territory in dispute between Persia
• , ^ e ^' e journey occupied two months, and during that time many
interesting sites were visited and their true positions astronomically fixed,
uommander Jones s narrative gives a detailed account of these pjaces. On their
f^ rn £ eS i e e / 8 executed a ma P 5 constructed from the results of their observa-
fiia n W 1C - 1 ^ VaS 01,warde( i to the British Ambassador at Constantinople to assist
tlie Commissioners at Erzeroum in their inquiry.