"ملخّص يحتوي على معلومات بشأن الاتصال الأول لشركة الهند الشرقية مع الجزيرة العربية التركية، طالما أمكن تتبع ذلك من سجلات حكومة بومباي، بالإضافة إلى أسماء العديد من المقيمين البريطانيين والوكلاء السياسيين الذين عُينوا في بغداد والبصرة في الفترة بين ١٦٤٦ و ١٨٤٦ ميلادي، وبمرافقة معلومات أخرى" [و‎‎٣‎٤] (٢٢٦/٦٩)

WITH TURKISH ARABIA 1G46 TO 1846. 37
before issued an order for the payment at Bussorah of a duty of five per
cent, on all European goods landed at that place. Mr. Shaw, however,
subsequently succeeded in inducing the Bashaw to relinquish this demand.
The following is an extract from Mr. Shaw's report on this subject:—
" A very extraordinary affair which happened a few days after the Swallows arrival
has unfortunately been the means of detaining her thus long, which was a demand
made by the Bashaw for five per cent, on all European goods, which they pretend is in
consequence of an order from Shambole, but I rather imagine, owing to the multi
plicity of European ships arrived, and expected here this season, and his great scarcity
of ready money at this juncture, which has occasioned him to change his Kia,* and
depose and plunder several of his other considerable officers of late. However, the case
is, he first wrote down hither to his Mussaleem, and soon after backed it with a public
order to demand the above five per cent; but the Mussaleem, who is a prudent man,
and much our friend in particular, instead of publishing the same, sent privately for
me, and acquainted me therewith, and at the same time advised me forthwith to write
to the Bashaw of Bagdad about it, and that he would on his part keep the thing a
secret here, and represented the evil consequence of a proceeding so discrelitable to the
Europeans, who would all rather leave the place (by which its trade would be entirely
ruined) than agree to any innovations of this nature; and as they had actually
proceeded so far at Bagdad as to cause several goods belonging to the Lnglish, French,
and Venetian gentlemen of Aleppo there to pay the said five per cent, even under the
care of Europeans. He advised me in a friendly manner to detain the Swallow here,
purposely on that account that he might thereon ground an agreement to his master
for retracting this order, as he would urge that 1 detained this Company's fighting
vessels here purposely to carry their flag and their effects away, in case the five per
cent, was insisted on. I accordingly wrote to the Bashaw regarding it, when a proposal
was made to my Attorney at Bagdad of finishing it for a present, which 1 rejected
as a bad precedent, and insisted on the English capitulations, whereupon they desired
them to be produced, which I did accordingly, and yesterday I have advices from my
attorney at Baghdad that they were resolved to drop the aff.ir and countermand their
former orders, it being only the effect of this new Kia's enmity to the Christians in
general."
93. From the following- extract from a despatch addressed by Mr.
Shaw on the 30th August 1760 to the Hon'ble the Court of Directors,
it appears that about that time the Agent in Council at Gombroon
appointed Mr. Shaw the Resident at Bussorah, and his Assistant,, Mr.
Garden :—
"to act jointly with the Resident in the management of the Hon'ble Company's affairs.
Under date the 23rd instant, Mr. Shaw paid his respects to Your Honors" duplicate of
which is enclosed, also triplicate of the address which preceded it, and on the 17th June
came to hand the enclosed packet from Gombroon by the Lively Ketch, when the
Agent in Council were pleased to appoint Mr. Robert Garden to act jointly with the
Resident in the management of Your Honors' affairs here, as he has "some time
commenced factor, in the discharge of which trust he begs leave to assure Your Honors
ol his fidelity, and that it shall be his study at all times to convince you thereof) by
his assiduity and steady attachment to the Hon'ble Company's interest."
94. In a despatch from the Hon'ble the Court of Directors to the
Bombay Government, dated the 25th April 1760, that authority com
plained of apparent inattention on the part of Mr. Shaw in forwardino-
to them overland intelligence in regard to their affairs in India, &c.
The following is an extract from this despatch :—
" We have hitherto had a very good opinion of Mr. William Shaw, our Resident
at Bussorah : we esteemed him a deserving servant that would merit our favour, and
accordingly at the request of his friends we indulged him with the option of the Resi-
deuce of Scindy if he preferred it to Bussorah. But as the important channel for
overland advices is almost lost, and we very seldom hear from this gentleman, we
* Minister.