"لجنة النقل في بلاد الرافدين. تقرير اللجنة المعيّنة من جانب حكومة الهند بموافقة معالي وزير الدولة لشؤون الهند للاستفسار حول الأسئلة المتعلقة بتنظيم وإدارة السكك الحديدية والنقل النهري في بلاد الرافدين" [و‎‎٧] (١١٤/١٣)

3
The drop in June and July is attributed to hot weather conditions.
The above figures, read in conjunction with the details of wharf construction,
will shew that up to October 1916, 50,000 tons of cargo were being handled
a month without the assistance of any wharves and all vessels were off-loading in
the stream. From October 1916 until July 1917 there was only one wharf in
use and the tonnage had increased from 50,000 to 80,000 or 90,000 a month at
times. From that date much more attention has been paid to the question of
wharf construction as has been shewn above.
14. As the Port of Basra was becoming congested a new site was found 21 Nahr Umr.
miles up river at Nahr Umr where there is sufficient water close in for ocean-going
ships. The main disadvantage of this Port is that it entails an extra 24 hours
delay to each vessel and its further development is now under review for this
reason. The following works have already been carried out:—
Three I. W. T. Wharves are in working.
No. 1 Jetty is completed.
Nos. 2 and 3 have not yet been commenced.
No. 4 is under construction and No. 5 is nearing completion.
2.— River.
15. On the outbreak of war the Turks sunk the buoys marking the channel The Shatt-el-
over the Fao Bar, and removed the lightship which used to be moored about 5 miles Arab *
outside the Bar to mark the approach to the river ; this lightship was sunk at
Satan's Gap, 5 miles North of Mohammerah, alongside the "Ekbatana " to assist
in preventing our navigating the river beyond that point.
In Janary 1915, the Indian Government sent a small steam vessel to
Mesopotamia to re-survey and buoy the channel across the Fao Bar, and at the
same time a new light vessel was constructed in the Royal Indian Marine Dockyard,
Bombay, and moored in position 5 miles outside the outer bar exhibiting an
occulting light which was a very great aid to navigation.
At the end of the year 1915, three Gas Buoys were secured from Ceylon and
laid to mark the channels oyer the outer bar, by this means ocean vessels could
more easily negotiate the passage by night.
The light at Fao which was destroyed by the Turks was also, about this time,
replaced in position, and this completed the facilities for navigation.
16. The mean breadth of the river is some 1,800 feet, between Basra and the
mouth of the Karun, where it widens to half a mile and slowly increases to its maxi
mum of nearly one mile at Fao, and ships are navigated by Pilots and Harbour
Masters as far as Basra.
17. This Bar is now well marked by the universal system of buoyage, which Fao Bar.
includes three lighted gas buoys laid in such a position that navigation can be
undertaken by night.
The Bar itself is about 12 miles in breadth and vessels drawing over 11 feet
have to await high tides when a maximum of 20 feet may be reached, but the depth
of water over the Bar is dependent in some degree on the wind, a strong north wind
considerably reducing it. From November to March the night tides are the higher ;
from April to October the day tides. Any vessel which can pass the Bar can
proceed to Basra.
A Scheme has been formulated for dredging a deeper channel, but it is under
stood that this, after consideration, has been deferred until after the cessation
of hostilities.
18. Tides on the Shatt-el-Arab are stronger than the river current and a rise Shatt-el-Arab
of 6 to 10 feet may be recorded at Basra, but salt water does not reach a point Navi g ation '
over 20 miles from the Fao Bar.
The left bank of the river to a point about 2| miles above the mouth of the
Karun is Persian territory,