Narrative of the Euphrates Expedition carried on by Order of the British Government during the years 1835, 1836, and 1837

Front matter

THE EUPHRATES EXPEDITION. LONDON : PRINTED BY Sl'OTTlSWOODB AND CO., NEW-8TRERT SQCARE AND PARLIAMENT STREET NARRATIVE OF THE EUPHRATES EXPEDITION CAI.EIED 0_I BY ORDER OP THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT During the Years 1835, 183C, and 1837. BY GENEEAL FEANCIS EAWDON CHESNEY COLONEL-COMMANDANT 14th BRIGADE ROYAL ARTILLERY, D.C.L. F.R.S. F.R.G.S. COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION. LONDON : LONGMANS, GEE EN, AND CO. 18G8. TO HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA. Madam, Permit me to place at Your Majesty's feet the result of a Special Service which was undertaken by a Vote of Parliament, the Narrative of which, owing to peculiar circumstances, has remained unpublished up to this moment. I would briefly mention to Your Majesty that two armed steam-vessels, with a body of scientific officers, artillerymen, sappers, and seamen, were placed under my orders, to carry out the Survey and Navigation of the Rivers Euphrates and Tigris, with the view of effecting a more rapid Overland Commu nication with India, by the commands of His late Majesty King William IV. ; and that, having successfully accomplished these objects, the detailed Surveys and Maps of DEDICATION.

VI the Rivers Euphrates and Tigris were, by command of Your Majesty, placed before both Houses of Parliament. During the time which has elapsed since, in 1832, I took the first steps towards the all-important object of our Overland Com munication with India, it has pleased Your Majesty to advance me successively from the rank of Captain, which I then held, to that of General in Your Majesty's Army. I have the honour to be, Madam, With profound respect, Your Majesty's most humble and devoted servant, F. R. CHESNEY, General, Royal Artillery.

Preface

. TN offering to the public the Narrative of an Expedition carried out more than thirty years ago, and written now at a period of life when most men seek for repose of mind and body, it would seem as if some explanation were necessary to account for the delay which has taken place in its publication. This ex planation I have given in the introductory and con cluding chapters of my work, and I have therefore little left to add to what the reader will there find detailed. Had not Her Majesty's Government proposed and requested that this Narrative should appear, I confess that at this late period I should not have had the heart to undertake and complete it. It has, however, been to me a ' labour of love ;' and in recalling to life the various incidents of the Euphrates Expedition, which have slumbered and slept for so many years, they have come forth from memory's cells with much of their old freshness, and have renewed all that interest in the important question of an improved Overland TREFACE.

Communication with India which repeated disappointment experienced on my part had partially crushed. When a man feels that what he has to say is worth saying — that the object he has in view is worth carry ing out — he will, if he be worth anything, stick to it through evil report and good report, through rainy days and fine. Such has been my case ; even though, as in the instance of the Euphrates Route to India, the ' rainy days ' have scarcely been intermitted by any gleams of sunshine. When I returned from the East in 1837, it was with the full belief that a question of such vast importance to Great Britian — nationally, politically, and commer cially — would be at once taken up warmly by the Government and the public. The way had been opened — difficulties which at one time looked formidable had been overcome ; the Arabs and the Turkish Government were most favourable to the projected Line to India.

But thirty-one years have since passed, and nothing has been done ! Where the obstacles lie — where the political or monetary hindrances to the execution of this great and beneficial project, it is perhaps scarcely for me to indicate ; but there can be no doubt that England must be very blind to her true interests if she allow it longer to remain in abeyance. My exertions in the cause of the Euphrates Eoute are well known. During the last ten years I have

PREFACE.

. IX been twice to Constantinople, to obtain the Sultan's Firman for a Railway from the mouth of the Orontes to the Fersian Gulf ; and once to Syria, to examine de novo the country between the Mediterranean and the Eu phrates. On the latter occasion I was accompanied by Sir John MaeNeill and a staff of engineers, who made a most careful survey of the Bay and of the country from Suedia onwards. To my great gratification, I found myself recognised and most cordially welcomed by the Arabs, whose anxiety for the opening-up of their country had much increased since 1837. In 1857 I brought the subject before Farliament, and the efforts of Mr. W. F. Andrew, Chairman of the Scinde and Punjaub Eailway Companies, have been untiring in endeavouring to organise a Line of Eailway via Aleppo and the Euphrates, with such slight encourage ment from Government as would give confidence and security to the shareholders.

But all has hitherto been in vain — and why ? In sending forth this Narrative of what was clone by the pioneers of the Euphrates Eoute to India, I do so with the earnest hope that it may be the means of affording me the only reward which I now covet — that of a satisfactory answer to this very simple question. I am also very desirous of drawing the attention of the public to that portion of my work comprised in the Appendix. The Contents of an Appendix are X

PREFACE.

. usually considered — by the general reader at all events — as dry and uninteresting, and are liable to be passed over without even a cursory perusal. A glance at the Table of Contents of this volume will show that this is not the case in the present instance. The highly interesting Journals of the late Major- General J. B. B. Estcourt are replete with truly life like pictures of Eastern manners ancl travel ; while, to those who knew him personally, they will recall vividly the single-hearted ancl straightforward cha racter which drew enjoyment ancl encouragement for himself and others from every incident. Captain Charlewood's Journal abounds alike in graphic descriptions of the arduous duties undertaken by him, ancl evinces the cheerful and devoted spirit, ever fertile in expedients, in which they were carried out : while the Eeports of the other Officers, although necessarily more brief than those to which I have specially alluded, will give the reader a clearer idea than I have succeeded in doing in my Narrative of the difficulties overcome by each in his separate department of the Service.

In Dr. Heifer's hitherto unpublished 'Visit to the Arabian Desert,' ancl in Mr. Ainsworth's ' Journey to Constantinople,' the antiquarian will, I trust, find much to interest him, ancl to encourage further research in these inexhaustible regions of ancient civilization ancl greatness. FREFACE. XI To the Appendix I have added, as No. XII., short Biographical Notices of the Officers ancl others by whom I was, without exception, most ably seconded and supported throughout the Expedition. I offer these Notices as a tribute of my gratitude and regard to the survivors of our little band, and as a memorial of my lasting affection for those who are no more ; earnestly hoping that these records of their devotion to the Service in which they were engaged, may be the means of inducing others to do likewise. F. E. Chesney, General Royal Artillery. Packolet, Ballyardle, co. Down : September 7, 1868. PAGE 1 69 CONTENTS.

— INTERVIEW WITH HIS MAJESTY KING WILLIAM IV., REGARDING THE TWO PROPOSITIONS OF COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA — A COMMITTEE OF THE nOUSE OF COMMONS EXAMINES THE QUESTION, AND VOTES £20,000 FOR AN EXPERIMENT BY THE EUPHRATES .... 142

Chapter IX. Entrusted With The Command Of The Euphrates Expedition

— AGAIN COMMANDED TO ATTEND THE KING — DIFFICULTIES OF THE EXPEDITION — PREPARATIONS AT LIVERPOOL THE ' GEORGE CANNING ' CHARTERED — MR. FITZJAMES INTRErlDLY SAVES A DROWNING TIDEWAITER — VOYAGE TO MALTA — VOYAGE TO THE COAST OF SYRIA — OPPOSITION OF THE PACHA OF EGYPT — LANDING OF THE EXPEDITION .... 150

— RETURN TO ENGLAND, AND TERMINATION OF THE EUPHRATES EXPEDITION ll CONTENTS.