be in favour of the railway because it would at once give them employment and afford them an outlet for their products. Mr. Lynch, of Bagdad, from long residence, fully confirmed his lordship's views. Mr. Horsfall, M.P., assured his lordship that the undertaking was viewed with great interest in the manufacturing districts generally, and placed in his lordship's hands a memorial from the Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool, praying that the Government would extend the necessary pecuniary aid to the Euphrates Valley Railway Company. Lord Palmerston assured the deputation that the Government were fully alive to the great importance of the Euphrates route; that they had supported and would continue to support it; but he could not give an opinion as to giving the guarantee on the capital without consulting his colleagues, and requested Mr. Andrew to put his proposition in writing, and that it should have a proper amount of consideration, and that Government would be happy to aid it, if in their power. Mr. Andrew having thanked his lordship for the courteous reception afforded to the deputation, the deputation withdrew, much gratified by the manner in which they had been received.* TABLE SHOWING THE CAPITAL REQUIRED FOR A STEAM TRANSPORT SERVICE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND INDIA, VIA THE SUEZ AND THE EUPHRATES ROUTES RESPECTIVELY. NOTE. This and the three following tables were framed in 1867 by a distinguished authority who had access to all official documents, and were appended by me to a letter addressed to Sir Stafford Northcote, in 1867, when he was Secretary of State for India. TABLE SHOWING THE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE REQUIRED FOR A STEAM TRANSPORT SERVICE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND INDIA, VIA THE SUEZ AND EUPHRATES ROUTES RESPECTIVELY. TABLE SHOWING THE ESTIMATE OF PROBABLE YEARLY TRAFFIC ON THE EUPHRATES VALLEY RAILWAY. PASSENGERS. Between Bussorah and Mediterranean-to and 10,000 each way annually at 3d. per mile £212,500 Per-centage of net revenue on Capital of £8,500,000) 5.57 TABLE SHOWING THE APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE OF THE POPULATION, YEARLY TRAFFIC, ETC., FOR THE EUPHRATES VALLEY RAILWAY, BY A BAGDAD MERCHANT. Names of Places. Popu- Im- Exlation. ports. ports. Remarks. Antioch Orfah To which place the route as far 15,000 20,000 18,000 as Bales would be open, i.e. within 25 miles of Orfah. Caravans from Syria and Da7,000 15,000 12,000 mascus pass through this place on route to Bagdad and Persia. Dair Anah 2,000 500 Kiffil Semawah 12,000 1,800 The supposed tomb of Ezekiel, and a place of pilgrimage for the Jews. A very large trade is carried on 8,000 3,000 2,000 Arabia. Two Caravans, about 2,000 between this place and Central camels each, leave it annually. 7,000 1,000 700 12,000 25,000 18,000 9,000 25,000 18,000 Besides the traffic from India 35,000 pilgrims pass through anthrough Bussorah, upwards of (nually for Meshed Ali. The charge for merchandise down the river from Bagdad is about £1 00 per ton, measurement or dead weight. The charge for merchandise up the river to Bagdad is about per ton, measurement or dead weight. 3 00 Goods are carried by camels at, it may be taken, for every 100 miles per ton weight. 1 10 0 Goods are carried by mules at, it may be taken, for every 100 miles 2 00 per ton weight. |