488 Sir John Jackson [May 28, 



At Mohammerah, where the members of my party were guests of 

 Captain Wilson, the then British Yice-Consul, a man of exceptional 

 capabiUties for such a position, I met the great Sheik, of whom I 

 formed a very high opinion, particularly having regard to his un- 

 doubted pro-English sympathies, and desire to see his country 

 progress. 



At Mohammerah ample provision for the transfer of goods coming 

 down stream in river boats to deep-sea steamers should be made, and 

 at Busra, occupying as it does a most important position, with, I 

 believe, an annual trade which has already reached a value of some six 

 million sterling, unless a new harbour is made at Koweit, proper port 

 w^orks with ample warehouses and transit sheds should be provided 

 whether for trans-shipment to ocean steamers from the shallow-draft 

 craft coming down the Tigris and Euphrates, or for goods coming 

 over the proposed railway from Bagdad. Going on from Busra to 

 Oorna by the Euphrates to the left or by the Tigris to the right, we 

 immediately get into shallow water. I have not personally been 

 along any great length of the Euphrates, but, from information at 

 hand, it must be considered a much more awkward river to navigate 

 than the Tigris, passing Amara up to Bagdad, a distance of some 

 350 miles. As far as I can judge from my voyage to Bagdad along 

 the Tigris in a very shallow paddle-wheel boat, although we went 

 aground thirteen times, I have no doubt at comparatively small 

 expenditure the navigation of this river, at any rate as far as Bagdad, 

 could be made quite easy for vessels of moderate draft ; but in view 

 of so vast a quantity of water under the proposed irrigation schemes 

 having to be taken from the Euphrates and Tigris, it becomes a 

 question whether, with a country ^vithout any extraordinary difficulties 

 for railway making, it would not be better for transport to rely upon 

 railways, more or less neglecting the rivers. It would be a great 

 advantage if the railways were constructed either before or simul- 

 taneously with the proposed irrigation works, so as to afford a better 

 means of transport for materials for the latter, and be an immediate 

 solution of the problem which must arise as soon as the irrigation 

 works are in operation, namely, how best to deal quickly and cheaply 

 with the transport of cereals, fruits, and other produce. 



At Bagdad you have a great ancient city with a magnificent river 

 front, full of merchants of all nationalities, many of considerable 

 wealth, a great centre for trade between Persia and the west. From 

 Bagdad I and my party crossed the desert along the regular route 

 for pilgrims journeying to the ancient shrine of Kherbela, where the 

 remains of two grandsons of the Prophet are laid, to the little town 

 of Museyib on the Euphrates. I was surprised at the number of 

 pilgrims seen every day, and, while in Bagdad, I made a proposal to 

 accept a concession for making a railway across this piece of desert, 

 the granting of which I think was only prevented by arrangements 

 that had been made between the Germans and the Turkish Govern- 



