‘A collection of treaties, engagements and sanads relating to India and neighbouring countries’ [‎215] (232/578)

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AFGHANISTAN. 215
This somewhat vague settlement, historically known as the Claren-
don-Gortcliakoff Agreement of 1872-73, was concluded without any
reference to the Amir.
During the next seven or eight years, the Russian Government con
tinued to advance slowly but unceasingly from the Caspian in the direc
tion of Merv, and frequent reports were received of their occupation of
that place. Accordingly, in February 1882, Earl Granville suggested
the demarcation of the Russo-Persian frontier from Baba Durmaz to the
point where the Russian frontier meets that of Afghanistan in the
vicinity of the Hari Rud, and threw out a suggestion that something
might be done with regard to the adjacent Afghan frontier, certain
details of which had been left unsettled by the Clarendon-Gortchakoff
Agreement. Numerous communications passed between the two Gov
ernments, but without decisive result, until in February 1884, wdiile the
question was still under consideration, official information was received
that the Merv Turkmans had made their submission to Russia, and that
the Czar had determined to accept them as his subjects. Upon this a
memorandum was despatched to the British Ambassador at St. Peters
burg for communication to the Russian Government, in which it was
observed that the occupation of Merv seemed entirely inconsistent with
the hitherto uniform assurances of the Russian Government that they
had no intention of occupying the place.
In their reply (March 1884), the Russian Government, after explain
ing their action in this connection, added that, if the British Govern
ment should find it useful and practicable to complete the arrangements
previously concluded between the two Governments by a more exact
definition of the countries separating the Russian possessions from
Afghanistan, Russia could only repeat its proposal of 1882, to continue
from Khoja Saleh westward the line of demarcation agreed upon in
1872-73.
The British Government accepted this proposal (April 1884) and
suggested the appointment of a joint commission, to begin operations in
the ensuing autumn.
Considerable correspondence ensued as to the point from which the
commission should begin its labours; the basis of the delimitation; and
the principles upon which the instructions to the commission should be
framed. Eventually it was arranged that General Sir Peter Lumsden,
the British commissioner, and General Zelenoi, the Russian commis
sioner, should meet at Sarakhs about the 13th October 1884.
Sir Peter Lumsden duly arrived from England on the frontier, and
joined his escort which had been sent to meet him from India. But it
now appeared that there were difficulties in the way of the demarcation.
1 irst, news was received that the Russian commissioner was ill and
unable to start, and then the Russian Government took exception to