"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" [ظ‎‎٣‎٧] (٢٢٦/٧٦)

44 PRECIS OF INFORMATION REGARDING CONNECTION OF E. I. COMPY.
Porte s commands to Bussorah. At length, however, I succeeded. Fortunately I have
found a successful negotiator at the post, and much I hope that this officer will prove as
successful a messenger of the Company's service, and for all parties interested, which
-ii i Wai 1 t Wlttl ea » er im P atien ce to be informed of. From those despatches, too, you
will have learnt that I was still labouring to succeed at the port in that very difficult
pinch of business, so often spoken of already in my former despatches and now at
length happily obtained, I mean a consulary Birat from the Porte for the Company's
Agents at Bussorah. It is a real satisfaction to me thus to have it in my power in the
first letter I write, and in the first opening of my correspondence with you, to congra
tulate you on this event. I have all along looked upon a consulary Birat from^the
Porte as an object of such a high concernment to the Company's "interests in the
Ottoman Dominions at all times, and particularly in the present hour, amidst the present
distractions and irregularities of Government at Bussorah, that I determined to leave
no effort unemployed which could possibly effect my success. It is the surest and
most efficacious means that we know of in this part of the world for protecting the
Company's commerce, their property, and just rights : it secures to them for ever, and
more firmly than anything else can, a permanent and quiet residence at Bussorah for
their future Agents there, it silences for ever that new fangled but dangerous doctrine
of the Porte, the annual change of them."
108. ^ The Birat, or Consular Commission above alluded to, was to
the following effect:—
" We, the Right Hon'ble Henry Grenville, Ambassador to His Majesty the King of
S. (treat Britain, q.t the Ottoman Porte, &c., &c., to all whom
H. G bbntillb . these presents may concern, Greeting—
" Having judged it very proper and necessary to grant this present for the service
of the Hon ble English United East India Company, as also for the better security
and prosperity of their affairs in trade at Bussorah, and also when in the Ottoman
Dominions, as also to secure and assure a protection to all persons in the respective
Residencies of their Agents and Ministers, that fromj thenceforth there be established a
Lonsul, with ample and full power, over all belonging to his charge to execute the
above-mentioned.
" Be it therefore known that we, by virtue of authority granted us by Eoyal Letters
1 atent under the great seal of Great Britain and conformable to an Imperial Birat
granted by the Emperor's Sublime Porte and the Sultan Mustofo, son of Sultan Ahmed,
always victorious, by these presents we declare and acknowledge the illustrious Mr!
Kobert Garden, the present Agent of the said Hon'ble Company (as also their future
Agents), and whoever be Agent in future, and whoever be British Consul for transacting
t leu anairs m the city of Bussorah or other places thereto belonging or dependent
thereon, granting, however, to the said Mr. Robert Garden, or even to any who shall be
Agent in future, full and ample power in all things belonging to his charge, and in this
respect we order all His Britannic Majesty's subjects to acknowledge him in quality of
Biitish Consul praying their Excellencies, the Hon'ble Bashaw and other officers.
Ministers, and Magistrates of the Ottoman Empire, to whom these presents shall be
shown, to suffer them freely to enjoy and amply and peaceably to enjoy their Consul-
snip, and to aid them with their assistance, protection, and favour whenever their
occasions lead them to have resource to them, conformable to the good and ancient
tnendship subsisting between the Crown of Great Britain and the Sublime Porte, and
conformable to the sacred capitulations.
' In faith of which we have signed these presents with our own hands, and have
caused it to be countersigned by our Chief Secretary, applying thereto the Royal seal
ln our of Pera, at Constantinople, this 29th August
" By Order of His Excellency,
" (Sd.) David Petebs,
" Secretary."