"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎١‎٩‎٥] (١٧٨٢/١٣٥٠)

(l;. I
' lm offef;
i s otlfj.
onlvijti
1 cf csn
1195
i^urat or Bandar ^Abbas, for the East ludia Company's records, thougk
they contain numerous references to " Bassorah ships,do not mention
any Basrah Factory. Captain Hamilton's dealings in pepper and the
ill-treatment which he received at Basrah in 1721 have already been
noticed above.
About 17"28, or perhaps earlier, a permanent Factory was evidently
established at Basrah. In April 1724*, the President and Council
at Bombay held a consultation on the state of the Company's affairs
at Basrah, and it was remarked that u there is nothing 1 yet done for
" Ibe advantage of our hon'ble employers, more than a promise obtained
" from the Bashaw that we shall pay but three per cent, duties* on the
u broadcloth, none of which being disposed of at the time Mr. Houssay
" despatched those advices ; the prospect he gives us of selling it seems
" rather an amusement than any real application to serve his emplovers,
" while he continues so much involved in private trade." As the said
Mr. Houssay had carried with him to Basrah the greater part of
the effects of a deceased Factor at Bandar 'Abbas and had given
no account of the same, and as it was rumoured that he intended to depart
thence direct to Europe without either being granted leave or returning
to head-quarters as required by the Company's rules, it was decided to
recall him to Bandar 'Abbas; but, in order that Basrah might not be left
unoccupied, the Agent in Persia was directed to proceed thither himself,
or, if he could not go, to send a Mr. E. Edlyne in his stead. At the same
meeting a notification was drawn up, to be published at Basrah, " requir-
" ing all the subjects of Great Britain trading under the Honourable Com-
" pany's protection to be conformable to the rules of the factory, and
" positively forbidding them to treat with the Government in any matters
" relating to their trade but through the factory."
In 1727-28, Mr. French being then the Company's representative at
Basrah, several difficulties with the local government arose; but they were
all, in the end, satisfactorily adjusted. In 1727 the Pasha suddenly
demanded a poll tax of five Qurush per head on account of the Persian
servants employed by Europeans at Basrah. The Dutch evaded the
requisition by discharging their servants; but Mr. French positively
# This, as we have seen, was the maximum fixed by the Capitulations, but it is
probable that at this time the Pasha of Basrah did not readily acquiesce in any
limitations imposed on him by the Government at Constantinople j moreover, as
will appear further on, neither the Pasha himself nor the Company's representative
at Basrah had a copy of the Capitulations. In 1702, when Sir N. Waite of the
Englih or New East India Company ;ent agents to Basrah to make enquiries, they
reported that customs would be payable at the rate of eight per cent*
Establish
ment of a
permane nt
Factory at
Basrah,
about 1723.
Difficulties
with the local
government
at Basrah
1727-28.
h