"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٣‎٨‎٨] (١٧٨٢/٥٣١)

388
made with the Persian Government for facilitating' their journey in Persia,
they experienced incivility and obstruction at the hands of M. Cattersel,
the Belgian Director of Customs at Bandar 'Abbas. This was ; however,
the sole instance of discourteous treatment of which they had to complain
in the course of their tour, and suitable notice was taken of M. Cattersel's
conduct by the Persian Government, who shortly afterwards, on the com
plaint of the British Minister, removed him from Bandar ; Abbas to another
appointment. At Bandar Abbas the mission were met by Khan Bahadur
Asghar 'Ali, the British Consular Agent designate for Bam. They were
accompanied on the march by Hospital Assistant Tafazzul Husain, placed
on duty with them by the Government of India, and by a small escort of
Indian cavalry who were proceeding on relief to Kirman, as well as by a
Persian military escort. From Bandar 'Abbas the mission journeyed to
Saidabad, where they arrived on the 25th November; they were met near
that place by Sartip Mirza Riza Khan, whom the Persian Government
had sent from Tehran to receive them. On the 27th November they were
joined by Major Sykes, and on the 16 th December the whole party arrived
at Kirman.
It had been intended that from Kirman the mission should travel to
SIstan, returning to the eoast at Gwadur fid Magas and Kohak; but, as
it appeared that thisroute would bo unprofitable, the programme was m^di-
fiod with the assent of the Government of India, and operations in Persian
Baluchistan were restricted to a tour from Kirmsu to Bam and Jiruft.
Bam was reached on the 14th .Tannary 1905, and on the 20th February the
mission returned to Kirman. From Kirman the mission marched to Yazd
arriving there on the 16th March; Shirta was reached on the 18th April ■
and from Sluraz Mr. Newcomen and his companions travelled by the
ordinary route to Bushehr, whence they sailed for India on (he 19th May.
v j If MeSSre ■ LufEman and R y an were lai d up with fever, and at
Yazd Mr. Newcomen had the misfortune to fracture one of his legs above
the ank e. On the 31st March the advanced party of the missi™ escort
was fired on at Mihrabad, between Yazd and Shiraz, and one of the Persian
cavalry guard received a severe flesh wound through the thigh These
were the principal diffienlties which attended the work of Mr. Newcomen
and ms associates.
In their journey the mission confined themselves strictly to commer
cial enquiries, m which they were aided by the British consular officials,
icir relations with the local Persian representatives were everywhere most
Sorio t T m0re ^ 0ne PlaCe ^ ^ reCeiTOl wilh —Merable
itinction. The representatives of Russia in Persia did their best, however.