"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٣‎٤‎٠] (١٧٨٢/١٤٩٥)

Bastfth to Baghdad, the station at the former place was left in full
charge of the Native Agent there.
* Introduction The question of accelerating communication with India had now for
navigation on several years been under consideration at home, and between 1826 and
and T^gr^by 5 valuable surveys of part of the Syrian coast and of the rivers
a British Euphrates and Tigris were made by Lieutenant Ormsby of the Indian
unde^Colonel Navy, assisted during part of the time by Mr. W. Elliot. Especial atten-
Cheenev tion was directed to the Lower Tigris, which Major Taylor, the British
1834-37. Political Agent in Turkish 'Iraq, considered to be important.
Captain F. R. Chesney, R.A., had also commenced a study of the
problem of overland communication in 1829, during a visit to
Egypt, when some enquiries as to the relative advantages of the
Egyptian and Syrian routes between Europe and India were addressed
to him by the Examiner of the India House. In 1831 -32 Captain
Chesney travelled extensively in the region between the Mediterranean,
the Black Sea and the Persian Gulf, making his outward journey down
the Euphrates and by sea to Bushehr, and returning to Europe by the
Karun river and a route through Persia and Asia Minor. In 1833
Captain Chesney, who had now worked out a scheme for establishing
communication with India by way of Turkish 'Iraq, had the honour of an
interview with His Majesty King William IV; and the King, who was
much interested in his project, encouraged him to persevere and suggested
the creation of a steam flotilla to form part of the Indian Navy and be
stationed in Mesopotamian waters for the purpose of strengthening
Turkey and Persia against the advance of Russia. Important evidence
was given by Captain Chesney in 1834) before a "Steam Committee" of
the House of Commons; and that body, in their report, recommended the
grant of £20,000 for an experiment in communication by the Euphrates
route. The sum in question having been duly allotted, and £5,000 having
been added to it by the East India Company, an expedition was organised
by Captain Chesney, who, under a royal commission dated 28th
* The principal authorities on the Euphrates and Tigris expedition are General
F. R, Chesney* 8 Expedition for the Survey of the Hirers Euphrates and Tigris, 1850;
his Narrative of the Euphrates Expedition, 1868 ; Mr. W. F. Ainsworth's Personal
Narrative of the Euphrates Expedition ; and the Travels of Doctor and Madame
heifer, 1878. Condensed accounts of the expedition are given in Lieutenant C- R-
hoyt'i History of the India Navy, 1877, Volume II, pages 31—43, and Mr. H. V.
Hilprecht's Explorations in Bible Lands during the 19th Century. 1903. The
earlier proceedings of Lieutenant Ormsby are noticed in Lieutenant J. R- Wellsted s
Travels to the City of the Caliphs, 1840.
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